Dreamchaser
by A Glimpse of Ethereal Blue
Summary: Sequel for Dreamcatcher. Now that the General is under captivity and definitely apart from Sora, what will happen to them? In this story, prepare to witness a neverending fight for love, beliefs and sanity, in which Jenova finally reveals her intentions. [CoverArt:AndreiaFerreira]
1. Opening Act: Prologue

**DREAMCATCHER 2 [Dreaming Awake]**

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><p>This is a FF7 ff, the sequel that follows Dreamcatcher, a story of an improbable love, self-discovery and constant fight… a fight for survival and a quest for sanity, that inevitably did not end well. Sora was separated from the General, and now both are painfully unaware of their fate. And now, several questions are posed: what will happen to them, will they see each other again… and, most important of all… what are Jenova's intentions? Riddles, evading words and strange mental dialogues cannot happen in vain.<p>

So, I invite you in.

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><p><em><strong>Disclaimer – I do not own FF7 nor its characters and settings. Only Sora is a product of my imagination.<strong>_

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><p><em><strong>OPENING ACT<strong>_

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><p><em>Sweet dreams are made of this<br>Who am I to disagree?  
>Travel the world and the seven seas<br>Everybody's looking for something  
>Some of them want to use you<br>Some of them want to get used by you  
>Some of them want to abuse you<br>Some of them want to be abused_

_Sweet Dreams (Are made of this) – Cover song performed by Emily Browning_

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><p><strong>PROLOGUE<strong>

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><p><em><strong>Sora's POV<strong>_

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><p>His arms felt so good, so tender and caring. His words sounded so true, so filled with nostalgia and sorrow.<p>

But why, General.

_Why did you leave me_?

It was cold around me. The cold kind of… hospital wards and white, impersonal wall. I felt so sleepy, so… alone.

My eyelids were heavy and all I could feel was the indifference, the lonely and hard surface beneath my body, where I rested – alive, only because my heart kept beating, only because the man I loved gave up on himself to save me.

His humiliation, his surrendering… all of it still lingered inside me like a hurtful drill, opening wounds and creating new ones.

How could I live without him, without his peculiar stare and his tempting scent, teasing my feeble senses and making me love him even more. Each time more, more intensely, more… eagerly.

_Where are you, my angel_?

My mind spoke to him, muted words and silent speeches that would never be heard. He wasn't here, next to me. He wasn't here, to hold me close and tell me everything was going to be fine.

I felt his absence.

I sensed his distance.

I was alone. Truly, unmistakably, alone.

My eyes finally opened, to face an insipid, grey-ish walled chamber. With no windows, only one door and… the bed I was laying on.

Blinking several times, I tried to focus. Most of all, I tried to remember what had happened, how did I end up here.

It didn't take me much to recall the moment. The moment of our separation, that artificially induced sleep that took him away from me.

His words… so despaired and tragic, so unlikely his.

_And now what?..._ my mind roamed, as despair slowly took me, consuming me as frozen flame, as an icy fire capable of demolishing the whole Planet.

Silently, my eyes betrayed me and, before I knew it, tears fell over my face. And while I, laying on my left side in that cold, uncomfortable bed, uncontrolled sobs escaped my throat, echoing in that cold chamber. Out of shame, I covered my face with my hands, trying to hide. Hide the shame, hide the weakness, hide the terrible way I missed the man I loved, so cruelly taken from me.

And so, like a child I wept, until something happen.

Something.

To die.

To live.

Or maybe, just simply… linger.

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><p>Not very far from the two chambers under constant surveillance, two guards remained seated, facing the screens that fed them live images. Both held the most surprised frowns on their face, as they processed the images bathing their retinas.<p>

One screen showed the woman – the woman caught with the resurrecting General, under the strangest circumstances. She cried, laying in the bed, with obvious despair, most likely grieving over the situation. Her sobs were the only sound provided by the sound system. She didn't speak, didn't scream, didn't say a thing at all.

She only shed tears.

However, the other screen – the contiguous screen depicted the most astounding image. An image that made the two surveillance guards open their mouths with amazement, shock…and fear. Fear of the unknown, because everybody knew the General was special. The man was, simply, way above the regular human.

For several hours in a row the General stood, facing a wall, untiring, alert and focused. But that was not a random wall – it was the wall contiguous to the woman's chamber. He faced that wall as he was able to see and hear what was happening there. _Through it._

Which was, of course, impossible, because the whole chambers where soundproof, build to resist the most destructible force on the Planet.

And as she cried, his hand slowly raised, to finally touch the wall. As he touched it, he breathed unevenly a couple of times, and we were able to sense a disturbance in the environment of the room.

He was mad, angry and revolted, there was no doubt about that.

And as she wept, his eyes suddenly met ours.

How, how could he possibly know the location of the concealed camera inside his chamber? _How_?

But he did – very accurately, he did. And as his mako, alien eyes scrutinized our own, he spoke, very, very neatly.

"If she's in pain… I'll kill you."

Shivers ran through our spines, and we had no choice but to alert the man in charge for this whole mission. Because all this was too much for regular humans such as we were. Simply… humans... frightened.

Because he was our General, after all. Our General, a fiery beast now locked and angry inside a _cage_.

"Call Tseng. He must see this."

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><p>...<p> 


	2. Chapter 1 - Suspicion

_**Chapter 1. The suspicion.**_

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><p>… <em><strong>2 months earlier ….<strong>_

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><p><strong>Tseng's POV.<strong>

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><p>Sighing, I closed my tired eyes, as I reclined in my comfortable chair. I was actually exhausted, the missions lately had been eating body and soul.<p>

Being the head of the Turks was as consuming as gratifying - reason why I remained in my post, willingly.

Even if I was buried in paperwork, I repositioned myself swiftly, in order to start working. Reports and more reports. This was the boring part of our job.

A soft but firm knock on the door interrupted my line of thinking.

"Yes."

The door opened enough to allow a female form to appear.

"Sir."

The young Turk saluted me cordially, as her superior. I had taught them well, to be disciplined and serious while at work. After all we, the Turks, had a reputation to keep.

"At ease, Cissnei." I said, the young Turk relaxing immediately. She held a file on her hands. "And what is that?"

"A situation, Sir." She started, and I waited for her to continue."Local authority asked for your intervention."

I blinked a couple of times, surprised with her declaration. _Odd_.

"We don't cover civilian issues. They are aware of that."

Yes, they were, but instinct was telling me something was off with this particular issue. Cissnei's next words only confirmed my suspicions.

"The Local Authority Base representative is here, Sir. He asks for a word with you."

"Very well. Let him in." I declared, closing the report I had started with. It looked like it was going to have to wait there, unfinished.

Cissnei nodded and opened the door once more, allowing another person to enter my office. She put the file in my desk and exited at once, leaving me alone with the man.

"Tseng." The man complimented, with a cordial nod.

"Lieutenant." I complimented back, military style. And I went straight to business, as I read what the file cover showed. "So, I assume you want to inform me personally about the 509?"

"Yes." The man started, his stance serious. "About 5 months ago I had a report of a missing young woman. Usual stuff, nothing unusual as we proceeded with the investigation."

"Go on."

"Meantime the head of maintenance from Shinra Company also reported one of his workers missing."

I snorted at the suggestive logics.

"The same woman?"

"Apparently. Since the reactor had been shut down they had been off from work but a month ago all of the maintenance staff was re-located and the woman didn't show up. With two missing alerts, we had permission to check her place."

The man paused, and I sensed the uncomfortable part was coming.

"And?"

"It was closed on the inside. Doors, windows closed. And absolutely _vacant_."

"And what does that situation have to do with the Turks?"

The man sighed, now a little disturbed. Okay, there was something definitely going on with this 509. I was willing to bet they couldn't handle the case and needed specific help.

"We found a considerable, high Mako impregnation inside that apartment."

I had to admit I was expecting everything from the man, except this. _Mako_? What the hell?

"High? You mean how high?"

"See for yourself." The man suggested, pointing towards the file. "That's not random contamination, Tseng."

I paginated swiftly the stapled pages of that file, until I found that precise information. It was actually high… disturbingly high.

_It can't be_…

"All Mako levels are accurately defined, did you revise your detectors?"

"I've scanned the place twice, using several detectors." The man said, genuinely. "It's _there_, I assure you."

_Okay, back to basics then_.

"Who lived in that apartment?"

"It was rented to Sukiru, Sora. No background of interest, at least not in this region."

"Check the registration base for all her story, relatives and such, then direct all the information to me. I'll see into this."

It was my dismissal speech and the man realized that.

"Thank you."

The man nodded and left at once. I remained there, standing right behind my desk, reading the content inside that file with fierce eyes.

The man had resumed pretty well all the facts. Inside, only directions and places were of interest to me now. I reached for the phone and waited for someone to answer back.

"Sir?"

"Cissnei, gather the team and tell them to be ready in 5 minutes."

I had gathered Cissnei, Reno, Rude and Elena in this case. A case that involved _Mako_ wasn't a soft issue to deal with. Mako energy was all around us, it was a fact, but thing was, I knew of SOLDIER and their… upbringing. Mako and SOLDIER were as close and as related as twin brothers. Few of us inside Shinra had knowledge of such but it was necessary to avoid inconveniences. The last thing the Company needed was internal gossip and conflict. We, the Turks, worked for peace in every level.

For now, it was time to investigate and make sure if this was only a random inconvenience… or if this was actually something we should worry about.

The five of us stood in the reunion room, discussing the case. I had told them what the head of Local Authority had informed of.

"Any questions?"

A hand rose immediately. _Reno_.

"Any inside suspicions in this, Sir?"

He meant, of course, our SOLDIER cooperatives.

"Not for now, but I don't cast that theory away." I admitted. "Let's bring our own equipment and solve this once and for all, shall we?"

-/-

Sora Sukiru's rented apartment was off city limits. Way off. It was actually close to Niebelheim, where she worked. The file mentioned she had worked in the reactor facility for some time.

"Okay people let's go." I said, and silently we walked towards her flat. It was nighttime already. Once inside the building, I gave strict orders.

"Reno, Cissnei, ask the neighbors about Miss Sukiru and her routine, please. Elena, Rude, come with me."

Nobody grunted and we rushed inside that apartment as ghosts.

The locks gave in easily, as if we were the owners of the place. The moment we got inside, something strange assaulted my senses. Instinct was screaming inside me. The lights were out and the environment was heavy. As the lieutenant had said, the place had been completely shut since their first evaluation of the scene.

Mako detectors were on, beeping frantically the whole time - and we were still resumed to the hall.

_This shall be promising_, I thought.

Each one of us scanned thoroughly each room, and finally Rude popped the lights to life. Standing right next to the flat's energy panel, we realized how strangely tidy the scenery seemed. The place had been cleaned, except for the lamp of the hall had been destroyed. Glasses were still on the floor.

The conclusion was unanimous.

"She was not alone." Elena whispered.

"No," Rude confirmed, eyeing the hall through his thick, dark glasses. "She had _pro_ company. Look at the way the lamp glass was cut."

We all eyed the piece, our lanterns focused on it.

"Perfect hit." I confirmed, right beneath what was left of the lamp. "This wasn't made with a regular steel blade."

"No, " Rude said. "This is military weaponry, Sir. Most likely, a sword."

We all remained in silence for a second or two, eyes heavy on each other. Forbidden words crossed our minds, screaming all around us, but none of us dared to speak.

"The detectors are stable now." Elena affirmed, breaking the ice. "She wasn't definitely alone, Sir. What remains a mystery is why would a SOLDIER be in here with her."

Elena was very straightforward. And she had an amazing reasoning capacity. It almost seemed she was reading my mind and saying out loud. What a promising agent she could become.

"We don't know that for sure, Elena." I warned, my eyes hard on her, hoping she would refrain her eager mind a bit. "The woman worked at the reactor in Neibelheim. She might have a contaminant dose on her."

"I highly doubt it." Elena insisted. "Mako contaminant doses do not persist over months, Sir. These levels…" She paused, trying to choose the right words. "… are characteristically native."

Silence expanded for a while between us and it would continue like that of it wasn't for the rest of my team to finally appear.

"Anything?" I said, hoping Reno and Cissnei could tell me something new and appeasing.

"You bet Sir," Reno started, "Miss Sukiru was a very solitary woman. She didn't bring persons - either man or woman - home and she was a calm, quiet neighbor, but she had a recent visit."

"Who?"

"I have a description. Man, average appearance, on his thirties. There was screaming and thumping and apparently she kicked his ass pretty bad, the guy's face and body met first-hand all the stairs of this building, it seemed."

Reno's eyes were wide as he described the scene.

"She _kicked_ _his_ ass?" Elena frowned. "I was willing to bet she was the one being abused."

_As always, very intuitive, Elena_…, my eyes warned, silent on her. She caught the hint and didn't utter a word. Reno was the one speaking.

"The man left the building with an arm and a leg broken and-"

"Let's get back to the base. We'll confirm all our data there." I said, ending this conversation. I didn't want to debate on the case in here, at Sora Sukiru's apartment. It was simply not adequate.

Not to mention I had a terrible feeling about all this.

The worst feeling I had ever felt in years.

-/-

"Dan Miller."

Reno's voice echoed in our research room. We took our places, as always, gathering the information we had. In the first hours in the morning, we decided strategies, debated all the feasible theories on this. The Mako impregnation lingering inside that apartment was a key element that still bothered Elena. I could see the restlessness in her eyes.

"What do we have?" I asked.

"As I had said before, male on his thirties, clean file except… for a charge a couple of years ago."

_A charge? How convenient_.

"For?"

"Assault and aggression."

Elena snorted as Reno's information confirmed her theory. And mine, as well. After all, Sora Sukiry was a victim of abuse. Hence, her quietness; her stillness. Her silence.

"Who pressed the charge?" Elena asked.

"Uh… Sukiru, Sora." Reno informed, paginating all over the recent info pages.

"His address, please." I asked. "Let's get moving."

-/-

We all stood, and all and each one of us knew where we were heading to now.

"Mr. Miller." Reno shouted, knocking on the door for the fifth time. The doorbell was not working. "Mr. Miller, open the door, please."

Elena sighed, bored and angry.

"He's not home." She said, in a low voice. "So we may all-"

"I didn't come all this way for nothing." Reno interrupted, his stance annoyed.

"Breaking in is illegal, Reno. " Rude warned. "You know that."

"Yeah, I know that, but it doesn't mean that I-"

"Open it." I interrupted Reno, knowing this was definitely not the right thing to do. My voice came out rasp and low; I knew perfectly I was crossing the line here. But… something was telling me to move on. "Are you deaf? Open it."

Reno eyed me for a moment, hoping my stare would confirm the irregularity he was about to perform.

"Yes, sir."

Reno's tone was filled with excitement. His right hand searched for something inside his pocket and, in less than five seconds, the door was open.

We entered silently and closed swiftly the door behind us, as if we had the original keys of that place.

Rude immediately searched for the light panel, but the thing was completely down. I was willing to bet Mr. Miller didn't pay the latter energy bills.

Mr. Miller's place was bigger than Sukiru's. This was typically the place of a man that wanted to be alone. This was a small house in the suburbs, partially hidden by thick forest, discreet and mildly taken care of.

I had the feeling the man had rented this place as well, since there were few personal marks on it. All of it - furniture, decoration - were model-house-for-rent display.

Elena's voice came out of nowhere, muffled.

"Sir… You should see this."

She was downstairs. _Basement_. I looked up, realizing Reno, Rude and Cissnei had the whole house covered.

Silently, I went downstairs, engulfed by shadow and a typical mold aroma insulting my nostrils. When I finally reached solid ground and walked towards Elena, I couldn't help but to feel overwhelmed.

"It's been some time since I seen one of _this_." I whispered, as my brain accommodated to process the information the walls were rewarding me with.

_A stalker. A true stalker profile_.

There were walls of photos, categorically arranged chronologically. Photos of a girl where the main attraction. She had been photographed in every angle, years from now. I was willing to bet she was Sora Sukiru.

She had evolved to a rather debilitating figure. The first photos had been taken with her permission. Others - the majority - had been taken with her on runaway. Her face, her posture were the ones of a scared, petrified woman.

Different clothes, different hair styles, she had tried everything. But he had caught her every time.

I gulped, concluding Mr. Miller was pursuing her enthusiastically. And as a true stalker, he must be _very_ jealous.

"This man wasn't very healthy." Elena commented. "Mentally, I mean."

"He is chasing her." I said, my eyes on the photos and the amazing digital definition. The man had to have a professional camera. "He has been watching her for… a long time. Like a predator."

"Sick bastard." Elena cursed, and my stare met hers, chastising her. That was no language for a Turk to use.

"He had her under tight surveillance." She said, now close to another corner where several devices were, on a table. "These are no amateur devices."

Still, my eyes were scanning the wall of photos. Something was telling me I would find something very valuable there. Clues.

And I wasn't wrong. My stare stopped in a particular photo, where a shadowy silhouette stood. Light had been casted in a way there was no chance to discern to whom that form might belong.

There were five photos of that lingering, strange shadow by the window, at Sora's apartment. My eyes scanned those photos several times. There was something familiar about that human frame. Something very familiar, I was almost sure I knew that posture from-

A shiver ran down my spine at the possibilities.

"I'll be damned." I whispered, gulping.

"What?" Elena asked, approaching me. Her eyes were on the photos I was analyzing as well. "What's that?"

"That's not Sora Sukiru, for sure." I said, pointing to that photographed shadow. I looked around, feeling a little lost. "Turn the Mako detectors on."

The devices were silent the whole time. Meantime, the rest of the team joined us in the basement. The place was spacey enough for all of us. Reno approached one of the devices in a corner and scanned the item. A smug smile was all over his face, as he caressed the item.

"Nice tracking device. This is _pro_ stuff." Reno said, switching the item on. And, after some time of careful staring, he concluded: "He tracked her."

We all approached Reno, as he pointed towards the screen that displayed the last reading.

"And he went for her." Elena deduced.

"But he didn't come back, that's for sure." Rude added.

"Check the coordinates. See what the device retrieves." I ordered, and Reno got absorbed in the wall of buttons.

Sadly, Reno's face didn't lit up the way it usually did.

"Nothing." He said, obviously with dismay.

"What?" Elena asked, not believing his words.

"The tracker retrieves nothing." He clarified.

"What do you mean, _nothing_?" Rude asked, again.

"It's… the mountain." Reno explained. "The north? Most of the northern area is just impenetrable forest and thick, green landscape."

Reno's words made the little hairs in the back of my neck rise. Memories of events that had taken place up there in the northern continent were suddenly very vivid in my mind.

"Not _all_ of it." I said, knowing where all this would lead us. _Again_. "Let's get back. We're done here."

I started walking out of that basement, headed towards the exit. My team followed me, silent and surprised.

"Tseng." Elena said, using my name. She rarely did that. "What is it? What do you suspect?"

And as I opened the car door, I whispered to her hears only.

"The worst."

-/-

"Strife Delivery Service."

That voice. How familiar, I didn't hear of Tifa for a while. Deep down inside I wondered if she was still attached to Cloud Strife in that insane, obsessed way of her. It was simply not healthy.

"Is Strife available?" I asked, knowing she would recognize my tone. It had become a habit: if I needed to make a phone call, I didn't have to say who I was. She already knew.

"Not at the moment." She said, her voice changing subtly. Clear as water, it was obvious she disliked Cloud being away. His nomad habits of late were destroying her on the inside… and worst of all, he didn't see it. Didn't see her.

And she forgave him no matter what.

"Can you tell him Tseng called?" I suggested. "It is a matter of urgency."

"Okay." She said, with a curious tone. But for Tifa's own sake, it was better if she didn't know any details.

"Thank you."

I hung up lazily, taking a deep breath.

I felt tired and excited at the same time. There was no way of verbalizing what was going through my mind.

I couldn't simply believe that, after all the effort to hide what had happened in Neibelheim, _he_ was still alive. I couldn't believe it, but something inside me was telling me I would have to get used to that idea.

_How_, my mind plagued. _How can it be possible_?

My eyes scanned the file I had in front of me again. 509. New files accompanied this one, namely the ones from the Scientific Department. The native Mako levels of all SOLDIER manipulated with Mako were alphabetically ordered. I scanned for the letter "S" at once - the association was undeniable. The reading at Sora Sukiru's apartment was exactly the same. Every digit.

Then, my eyes landed again in those photographs I had borrowed from Miller's basement wall. That shadow, that form lingering by the window…

All around me screamed…_ Sephiroth_.

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><p><em>AN - I'm back guys! I didn't abandon this sequel, not in a million years! Sorry for taking so long, but life has been hard on me! And I've been working on several projects as well, if you want you can be in touch with all of it via my FB page! See my profile for the details :)_

_And welcome guys, let's start with this sequel and bring the reviews on!_

_Can't wait to hear from you guys! :)_


	3. Chapter 2 - Caught

_**Chapter 2. Caught.**_

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><p><strong>Cloud's POV.<strong>

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><p>I hated that damned phone.<p>

I would give everything just to be free of everything this world offered. Technology, magic, lifestream… if all could just vanish and leave me alone, I would finally be at peace.

I liked my bike, I liked my swords. But the rest was simply too much.

The wind blew, forcefully strong against my face as I forced the pedal, speeding me up to a blizzard velocity. The sensation was freeing, it was all that mattered.

The phone buzzed for the third time - I felt it against my thigh, inside my pocket.

_Damn_. I would have to answer that. So much insistence couldn't be a good thing. I reduced the bike speed gradually until I stopped completely. The phone kept buzzing. When I finally grabbed the damned thing, a very familiar voice sounded on the other side of the line. _Tifa_. She had been the one trying to call me senseless for the whole afternoon.

"Yeah." I said, my voice neutral.

"Tseng called." Tifa declared, her voice tired. "He said it was urgent."

_Oh, fuck_. The head of the Turks calling out for me? Definitely - it couldn't be a good thing.

"Right." I whispered, annoyed. What was left of my day had been officially ruined.

"Will you be coming home soon?"

Tifa's tone made my heart heavy. She asked for my company every time she had a chance, albeit she did that discreetly. I knew she had feelings for me. And I knew, as well as she did, that I didn't like her that way. Honestly, I wish I did. She deserved someone who cared for her deeply, not just for sympathy.

And right now, I held her into a very high esteem - but nothing else.

I didn't love her.

And knowing that hurt her - I had seen had hurt in her eyes so many times…

"I don't know." I sighed. "Maybe."

"Fine."

She hang up, knowing I wouldn't disclose a word more. She knew me well enough already.

I stayed there, in that abandoned landscape, for several moments. I had the phone in my hand and indecisiveness overwhelming me.

_Should I call Tseng_? I thought, trying to guess what he needed me for this time. It had to be serious enough for him to make the call. Otherwise, any regular Turk would have done the deed. Right?

_But of course. It had to be something serious enough_, I finally concluded. My eyes landed on the phone screen and I sighed, not liking a bit the way I felt. My instinct was screaming - and I knew it wasn't a good thing. Instinct was something that I didn't take lightly.

So I decided to make the damned phone call.

"You wanted to talk to me?"

The line had been silent the whole time, only a faint beep revealing that Tseng had received the call. My tone seemed to take him by surprise.

"Strife. Yes, well…"

_Oh-uh_. Tseng hesitating? Bad news were coming, now I was sure of it. His silence was worrying.

"Well?"

"Something serious came up."

_No shit_.

"Care to specify?"

Silence invaded the line once again, as I sensed Tseng's discomfort.

"He is alive, Strife." Tseng declared. "There is a high probability of… him, being alive."

I felt a pang on my chest as I processed his words. _He_? There was no way Tseng could be referring to _him_.

"That is simply impossible." I declared at once. "I killed him, I… I saw him fall."

Tseng's words sounded unreal… offending, to a point. What the hell, he knew everything, he of all persons knew what had happened in that reactor and how I had killed the General, almost killing myself as well in the process. So why all this nonsense all of the sudden?

"I believe you. But the proofs are… irrevocable."

Tseng's one was assertive. He knew what he was talking about, I could feel it. All that came to my mind was the fact that I actually never had seen the General die. Lifestream had taken him, we assumed all that. But apart from all the theories, there would be no one capable of surviving to a fall and injuries just like the ones he had. Son of Jenova or not… he was not freaking immortal.

_Right_?

"Proofs?" I quoted, curious.

"As you well know, _you _who were manipulated with Mako… broadcast very characteristically."

I drew a deep breath, Tseng's speech worrying me terribly. "And the General… isn't different. As you well know."

Oh, man. Was this real? Him, the General? ALIVE? Deep in thinking, I didn't realize seconds were passing by.

"Strife?"

_Wake up, man_.

"I'm here."

"I need your help."

"What for?"

"We know where he is."

I closed my eyes, not yet believing what Tseng was actually saying. I was still processing the shock of coming to terms with the General's miraculous survival… and now Tseng was saying that he actually knew where the General was.

This was too much for a God damned shitty day.

"I'm on my way." I declared, shutting down the phone.

My peace of mind had been annihilated for good.

* * *

><p><strong>Tseng's POV.<strong>

* * *

><p>I sighed as I put the phone to rest.<p>

Well. It could have been worse. Cloud had taken the whole thing better than I imagined. My eyes met my team, and our faces couldn't be sterner.

This was going to be a nightmare.

Now that we were absolutely sure the General was alive again, precautions had to be arranged. Tactics had been contacted, as well as the Communication department.

Channels, codifications, all of it had been changed - because I knew the General would be surveying us. I knew him to the point of being completely sure he took care of his own safety.

Of course there were things that didn't make any sense.

Hence, the circumstances of his appearance and the woman involved in that. The woman… that was my greatest surprise and, I dared to say, my biggest riddle.

The General wasn't a 'woman' kind of man, not the get-marry- and-have-a-wife-and-a-house type. Hell, he wasn't a 'human' type in general. He was a man focused on his work, war and battle. Power and control. Nothing else.

So what was the role of a random woman like Sora Sukiru in his… ressurection? And not to mention the disappearance of her psycho husband, Dan Miller. Sadly I had the feeling Mr. Miller wouldn't be around to tell us about what had happened.

I chuckled, not believing the irony of all this.

"What is it, sir?" Rude's voice startled me.

"Ironic, isn't it?" I asked, my eyes on the board that we borrowed from Miller's house. My eyes rested on the shadow that lingered in the latest photographs the man had taken. Huge black circles were designed around Sephiroth's frame. Now that I knew that that shade was actually _him_, it didn't shock me anymore.

"The disappearance of Dan Miller led us to Sora Sukiru's place… and we end up finding out Sephiroth was there after all. And then, thanks to Mr. Miller's paranoia with registering every step of his obsession… he eventually gave us the exact location of where Sephiroth is."

Silence invaded the room.

"Considering the woman is still alive, which I doubt."

"Not to mention Dan Miller-"

Elena's voice was stern, but eventually Rude interrupted her with hope in his tone.

"Cloud is here."

We all breathed out in relief.

Having a former SOLDIER in our side would be an advantage. Namely, the one that had - supposedly - killed the General.

Cloud entered the premises without uttering a word, an unfriendly frown on his face. Despite not enjoying such mood, I understood him. After all, this wasn't easy to digest.

We went to the conference room where all the proof remained and in there, along with my team, I took my time explaining and confessing all I knew about the matter - since the day the Lieutenant went on search for me until hours ago.

Cloud remained silent the whole time, listening attentively. Elena, Rude and Reno watched, heard and made absolutely no comment. Re-living the whole 'Sephiroth's discovery process' was disturbing enough.

"How did this happen?"

Cloud's tone was a mix of despair and rage. Right. So he had to ask exactly the one question I didn't know how to answer.

"I have no idea, Cloud." I admitted, locking my stare with his. "Somehow… he was brought to life. He was found in that reactor, along with the remnants of Jenova's head."

The word Jenova made all my team shiver.

"I need to know what we're dealing with." Cloud declared, serious. "How do you know it's actually him, for sure? Apart from the Mako broadcasting, I know that, but… how do we know we're dealing with the Sephiroth of before?"

It was a very good question.

"We don't, Cloud." I admitted. "That's why we called you."

Cloud's silence felt accusing but I didn't care. We were talking honestly here and I wanted him to know of everything.

"If things get out of hand, we trust on you to take him out again."

Cloud rested against the chair, thinking about my words. I knew he was thinking of an excuse to bail on us. The whole issue with the General had marked him to a point of no return. So, it was only normal he would avoid any further contact.

"We believe it won't get to that." Rude declared, my eyes meeting his at once. "He's with a woman. That may actually work in our advantage."

"Unreal." Cloud whispered, arranging his hair with one of his hands, but to no avail. Spiky hair was difficult to dominate. "This is a freak show, really. Sephiroth being alive… living in the middle of nowhere with a hostage? It's…"

"I know, it's crazy." I admitted. "But we can't afford to send a tracker first to see what's going on. He'd find out, kill the tracker and disappear. If it wasn't for the standard Mako measuring in Sora Sukiru's apartment, we would never even suspect he'd still be alive."

"So he's not aware we know of him?" Cloud asked, his eyes now on the board. "Are you sure he is completely unaware of our mission to capture him?"

"There are no certainties as you well know, Cloud. There is the possibility he can know of us and our intentions, but the odds favor us. That's why I think we have to act at once."

"What are your intentions?"

Cloud's words surprised me, what made me narrow my eyes at him.

"Sephiroth is _not_ dead, Cloud. And he's guilty of a series of crimes he committed, as you well know. He has to pay for what he did."

I paused, my team's eyes on me for the whole time.

"He will be brought to justice and he will be sentenced for his crimes."

Cloud took his time answering, what wasn't a good sign.

"Don't you agree?"

"I guess…"

"Are you with us?" I insisted, rising from my chair and looking the former SOLDIER in the eye. Enough of smooth talking. "I know you abandoned Shinra but we need you now. The Planet needs you. You're the only one that killed him, once."

Heavy silence invaded the room where we all stood in.

"So, how's it going to be, Cloud?"

I expect a silent leaving and a door closing, with no answer. But I what I got in return was way different.

"I'll do it on one condition."

My eyebrows rose at Cloud's words.

"Name it."

"I want to be reassigned to Shinra as General."

Well. I wasn't expecting that one. Through the corner of my eye I saw Rude's mouth agape and his stare meeting Reno's.

"As far as I know, the post hadn't been taken since Sephiroth's _death_."

I rested both my palms on the table, considering what I would say to the man in front of me.

"It hasn't." I admitted. "I'll talk to the President and see what I-"

"No, Tseng." Cloud declared, rising from the chair as well, obviously in confrontation mode. I caught a glimpse of Rude grasping the gun reflexively. "I want guarantees, or I will not be part of your mission. Do what it takes to put me back in the system, get me the post and then we'll have a deal."

Cloud's tone was offending and rude, but I had no chance but to solve things right there and now. With Sephiroth out there, concocting God knew what in that disturbed mind of his, I couldn't afford to worry over details right now. Even if Cloud's demand sounded ludicrous.

I needed Cloud with my men, because he had powers to solve things… if things got out of control.

So, considering all this, I grabbed the desk phone and spoke out loud and clear.

"Tseng speaking. Get me to the President, please, it is a matter of urgency."

* * *

><p><strong>Cloud's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>I had been impolite and smug, but I didn't care.<p>

Hell, I was putting my life on the line again for Sephiroht, the man who basically tried to kill me and almost achieved it. In fact, if it hadn't been for the whole Mako improvement I had in me, I wouldn't have survived to his deadly strike.

The pain of sharp, cold metal impaling me still gave me nightmares; cold sweating; screams and consuming pain to the point of bringing tears to my eyes.

Tifa had been my comfort through so many nights, where my chest seemed to burn, to explode - as if an invisible hand was there squeezing my heart and opening the wound his sword had given me.

I would never forget how his Masamune felt inside my body.

Tseng had taken care of the process easy and simple. In half an hour a contract had been printed, where my new post at Shinra was stated clearly.

One hell of a pay and lots of responsibilities - but I didn't care. I was willing to become a General - a good and respectful one.

For months I had complained to myself I had no reason to live.

So now I had one: the best of all goals and the place I so deserved after my courageous deeds.

I signed the contract, along with Tseng and his staff as witnesses.

Tseng took his time informing us of what would happen the next day: we were going hunting.

-/-

I slept at Shinra that night - in my new apartment.

I would have to transfer all my stuff from Tifa's place. Yeah, she would eye me proudly, I was willing to bet. I, Cloud Strife - The _new_ General.

Only the thought of it made me smile.

During the whole day we prepared the mission - categorized as '_Top-secret_'. No one knew about it, except the Turks' team and fifty men that had been informed of a 'serious threat' in the North. Tseng had gathered with them and disclosed the whole truth - so that they knew exactly what they were facing.

Some of them had fought under Sephiroth's command and I felt their discomfort as Tseng spoke. I stood there, in the back, guarding the exit in case some of them decided to leave.

Which was not an option. Once accepted in this mission, there was no turning back. The side had been taken.

Sephiroth was alone, in the middle of nowhere, and had no idea we were coming for him. I wondered how his smug face would look like once we'd surprise him.

I grasped my sword reflexively at the thought of him in his full splendor. A powerful man, driven to craziness once acquainted with his past.

My thought flew, considering our chances. It seemed we had it all covered.

-/-

I remained outside, covering the area as Tseng's men invaded the place. It was a nice house in the forest - but it all felt way off. I mean, I would never imagine Sephiroth would be the kind of having a place in the woods!?

Come on. It was too absurd to even consider _that_!

I scanned the area and I realized it was clear. There were no traps, nothing military going on. Whatever was happening here - war scenarios hadn't been thought of.

This area in the North was pretty quiet and still. Very well hidden and off the satellite imaging. Sephiroth had chosen the location wisely - as expected from a man like him.

I took my time tracking the surroundings before alerting Tseng the way was clear. Inside the house there was someone. Most likely, it was the woman that they had talked about - Sora Sukiru.

Well, at least she was alive. In the corner of my mind I wondered why she would she be here with Sephiroth, of all persons. I wondered what use would he gave to her, what would be his interest on her.

_Yeah, right_..., I thought, ironically. Sephiroth actually _caring_ for someone?

That had to be the greatest joke of the century.

I surrounded the house several times, listening to Tseng talking to the woman. She was dead scared. And she clearly suffered from some paranoia as well, because she defended Sephiroth with every word.

I narrowed my eyes as I listened, but my focus changed all of the sudden.

I remained still and quiet, and felt my eyes shift. My insides changed, as they always did when _he_ was around. When he ordered us - SOLDIER - around and sounded authoritative.

Before I knew it I was looking up - and saw him fly, headed from northwest, that dreadful Masamune on his left hand.

Shivers and cold sweating invaded me.

Knowing was one thing - seeing him alive and kicking was a total different matter.

I gulped dry at the vision, and my hand met the sword handle at once. I was prepared to battle, I felt prepared for everything… thing was, Sephiroth didn't pay me no importance.

After a few scanning flights, he stopped floating right above the roof. He narrowed his eyes and his wing created a ravenous turmoil around us.

The whole forest seemed to have been invaded by a hurricane. There were leaves, trunks, soil and wind all around us, moving and spinning chaotically. The men outside crouched, afraid and scared. Man. The effect this guy still had on them was impressive.

I took a glance at Sephiroth once more. He had a frown of despair and hopelessness on his face - which was something new for me. Those were emotions I didn't know he could perspire.

Then, in the blink of an eye he dived, destroying the roof and invading the space where Tseng and the woman were talking.

What followed rendered me speechless.

I rested silently by the kitchen door, watching the scene developing, listening to words I didn't imagine to hear, testifying reactions I wouldn't dare to dream Sephiroth would do… to safeguard a frail human being.

Tseng's strategies shifted once he realized the woman actually meant something for Sephiroth. I never thought to live to see the day Sephiroth would kneel for someone else's life.

Definitely, this wasn't the Sephiroth I knew.

This man, kneeled and holding a woman in his arms, whispering words of tenderness against her hear… was someone else.

A changed man.

He still managed to use magic on his own benefit. To avoid further complications I saw him use a sleep spell to put the woman asleep.

It was instantaneous. She closed her eyes, entangled in his arms like… a lover. His eyes scanned her sleepy face, and I wondered what he would be thinking.

Would he be saying goodbye? Would he be praying for her safety?

The scene was shocking for all of us. Shinra men, Turks and I remained wordless, for there were no words available to describe what we were seeing.

A man like Sephiroth asking for her safety; a man like Sephiroth protecting a frail woman with all his strength; a man like Sephiroth actually being tender and kind.

It was like a God damned nightmare that didn't end.

His eyes met mine, catching me offguard.

In that moment, I sensed it was actually him - the same man that tried to kill me in Neibelheim. Cruelty and satisfaction poured of him, and I realized he knew how miserable my life had been since his departure. The nightmares, the sadness, the depression my living was immersed in… he had left me with nothing. He had taken out one of my best friends - Zack Fair.

"Does it still hurt… Strife?"

Sephiroth's words hit me like a rock. Provocative as always, reminding me of the moment he had hurt me purposely to finish me off.

The wound, the scar I had of that very same attack pulsed as his eyes pierced mine. Sephiroth hurt me with his psyche, made me feel physical pain only with a deathly stare.

I turned away, not wanting to see more or hear more of him. I needed distance from that evil man.

Still a little shaken with Sephiroth's doings, I followed the team's actions.

The General left the house under tight surveillance, always with the woman on his arms. Tseng marched next to him, words exchanged occasionally.

The forest was silent as we abandoned the place where Sephiroth and the woman had been living for several months.

Now, it was completely destroyed, filled with murder and anger, sadness and grief.

I eyed the place one more time before getting inside the helicopter.

Something inside me warned me this wasn't the end. This place held a strange mystic that wasn't innocent or pure.

This place, this hidden house in the woods… were alive with something I couldn't understand.

* * *

><p>AN - Allrighty, one more before the plot goes to present tense one again. I hope you enjoyed these other perspectives; it's great to remember and re-write stuff from Dreamcatcher :) Review as you like, people and let me know what you're thinking! :) Your opinion is most valued, as ALWAYS :)

Next chapter things will take off from the end of Prologue. Enough of going back in time and checking on someone else's perspectives. The plot will be moving, from now on! And what I have prepared for you… beware :D

See you very soon!

_*Check some of my original fiction on the web: fictionpress dot com. I write under my official penname Rita Dinis (write the name under 'writer' in the search tab). There's short-stories, novel chapters, and much more. Enjoy!*_


	4. Chapter 3 Developments

**Chapter 3. Developments**

* * *

><p><strong>Present time.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Tseng's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>"What is it?"<p>

"He's losing it, Sir." A worried voice on the other side of the phone warned me something was not right. "The General is behaving oddly."

I sighed, wondering what on the Planet could that man be talking about. Right, so the General was odd. Was that news or was the man just kidding me?

Of course the General was odd - the man was beyond odd every day of the year.

"What do you mean?" I asked, hoping I wouldn't have to go to that place again. It had been two days since we captured Sephiroth and his captive and the company seemed to be on fire. Everybody wanted to see him, see the woman he had been with… Geez. The place looked like a Zoo. I had to restrain the access to the facility or things would go out of hand.

The President was worried, Hojo was delighted with the prospect of having his guinea pig back and a plus - the woman, and Security was constantly scared shit of the former General.

I had to handle with this whole mess alone.

Well, not alone. Me and my team.

Patiently, I heard the man describing what he had seen. Right, so… more of the usual. Sephiroth threatening, Sephiroth communicating with the woman through the wall.

Good heavens. Now what would happen next, a magic disappearing trick?

"I'll take care of that right away."

I exited my office in that precise moment. As I walked towards the high-security facility where Sephiroth was imprisoned, I contacted the elements of my team.

Reno, Rude, Elena and Cissnei needed to know what was going on in case things got out of hand.

It seemed this whole _Sephiroth-coming-back_ had twisted our daily life in a way I would never imagine.

Once I reached the surveillance room, my eyes met the frightened eyes of the security guards. "For the Planet's sake, at least pretend you're not scared as children afraid of the boogey man." I snarled, angered. "The man is human, I assure you. More human than you might think."

The pair in front of me lowered their gaze to the floor, ashamed.

Well, they should be.

"You're easily impressed with his tricks." I added, as I reached the several LED screens on the wall, clicking the rewind button. I reached easily to the part where the General seemed to be communicating with Sora Sukiru, who cried silently on the contiguous room. I had to admit, it was impressive - and incredibly tender for a man like Sephiroth. Not in a thousand years I would imagine him doing such thing.

Sephiroth was a very mental being. Only that could explain the bond he felt with the woman. In a way, it was like he could feel her grief, her sadness… and that explained the heated threats towards the hidden cameras.

Right. That was so like Sephiroth.

"Is this the reason of such commotion?" I asked, my hand pointing towards the screen, the image of Sephiroth freezed.

The men only had the decency to nod. I sighed and tried to think of an alternative, but my thinking was interrupted with a presence making an entrance in the surveillance room.

Hojo.

Our stares locked and Hojo blinked a couple of times, as if guessing why I was here at this time of the day.

"Tseng. What a coincidence."

"I could say the same thing." I admitted, with my arms crossed.

"I needed to ask you something." Hojo declared, and my eyebrows rose at his words. Hojo, asking me permission to do something? _Unreal_.

"Which is?"

My tone was neutral and firm. Who knew what that crazy scientist had in mind?

"I need to speak with the woman. Since you're the responsible of her imprison I would like to know if I have permission to do so."

Silence bathed the room for some consistent moments. Hojo had been doing homework, that was for sure. He knew I had been in charge of the mission and therefore, I was the one responsible for Sephiroth and Sora Sukiru.

"So, you want to start with her?"

The man looked at me through his glasses with a wicked smile on his face. Geez. Such a perverted mind.

"I'd like to…"

I took a deep breath and went straight to business.

"She'll remain in the facility. In the level below us there is an infirmary, with my staff, you can use it to ask your questions. I assume your interest in Sora Sukiru is mainly circumstantial, am I right?"

Hojo made a face. He was not expecting my demands. _Well, too bad, mister_.

"Indeed. I have the results of her testing though." Hojo declared, waving a file at me. "And let me tell you the results are _very_ interesting."

"You don't say."

Hojo nodded, with a smug face all over.

"Keep me informed." I demanded. "And know this: if you lay a finger on her… you'll pay the price, Mr. Scientist."

Hojo narrowed his stare at me.

"That's not you talking, Tseng." He concluded, still smiling at me. Damn, how I hated the brains of that man. "It's Sephiroth's will, isn't it?"

My silence answered him and I didn't like that one bit.

"I knew it."

With a gesture, I saw Hojo leaving. The last thing I saw was his white coat. The men on the surveillance room remained there, immobile like statues.

"You can leave. Permanently."

I sensed how those men left the room, and before I knew it, my team was exactly behind me. Finally, they were here.

"We're moving Miss Sukiru from this level. I need your assistance."

* * *

><p><strong>Sora's POV.<strong>

* * *

><p>I remained sat on the gurney as I have been told to.<p>

I felt very anxious, because I didn't know what on Earth was going on. I had woken up in a sterile room, totally dream-like and white as chalk. Now that I recalled those moments, it was hard to think of those as real. All of it looked - and felt like a dream. Or maybe a nightmare.

After all, I haven't seen my General since that moment in our house… where I had fallen asleep in his arms.

I sighed, despaired and missing him terribly.

_Where are you, Sephiroth_?

My eyes scanned the surroundings and it didn't take me much to conclude I was in some kind of infirmary. Maybe this was a hospital. Maybe this was some sort of clinic… who knew?

Everything was possible.

"Sora."

A strange voice woke me up from my reverie. A man with dark, long hair wearing a ponytail and geek glasses stood exactly in front of me. With a metallic file on his hands. He was all dressed in white. Just like the fabric of that padded room I had been at. Okay, so much for the dream theory. I hadn't dreamed a thing. It was all too damn real.

_Good God_.

"I'm Hojo, the doctor that will be supervising you."

I gulped dry, not liking that tone at all. _Supervising, ha_? My eyes were on his and I dared to speak for the first time.

"Where is Sephiroth?"

My tone came out like a subtle whisper. It was like I didn't use my vocal chords for years. The man scanned me with a disturbing silence and didn't answer my question - he posed one instead.

"Did you know you were with child?"

My eyes widened with shock. What the hell was he talking about!?

"That's impossible." I said, reflexively. I blinked, scanning the walls, nervous with such assumption. "The General… he told me he couldn't-"

"Indeed." The man interrupted me, as he wrote avidly in that chart of his. "So how could something like that happen?"

"I…"

Words failed me. I didn't know what to think, what to deduce of this man's conversation.

"You mean I was-"

"You were."

The confirmation hit me like a rock. It couldn't be true. I couldn't be with child considering what The General had told me. He was not fertile. So… how could that be possible?

"I couldn't be pregnant." I declared, despaired.

The man smiled widely, his eyes honest on mine.

"I assure you, you were very much pregnant." The man declared, as his gaze suddenly changed. It felt accusing, and I answered him right away.

"Don't give me that look. He was the only one having me."

Admitting I had been having sex with the General was terrible. It was like I was showing off my intimacy to strangers, and I so didn't like that.

"So I suppose it was consensual." The man concluded and I made a face at him. How could he even consider such barbarities? This man's theories shocked me. But, then again, I didn't know what the General had been doing before I met him. He had told me once he had had women… and now I could only conclude his ways must have been very different... considering the way he was when we were together.

The man kept studying me, in silence, until the moment he decided to talk again.

"Those bloody cloths retrieved from your love nest at the mountains revealed a former pregnancy. You were with a boy."

I felt a pang on my chest as I processed his words.

_WHAT_?

"Oh, my… God."

I had nothing to offer but the shock I felt. But the man proceeded, as if nothing serious had been said.

"So what happened for you to abort… spontaneously?"

My eyes met his and all became so logic, in that moment. The physiology changes, the dream of Jenova squeezing my insides… it was all because I was actually… pregnant. With a child. Sephiroth's child. Who was supposed to be infertile but apparently he wasn't.

I couldn't conceive this reality. This was too much for me.

"I…"

Words escaped me again and all I remembered was Jenova's words in that dream. '_I am sorry but I cannot allow it_.' And all I could think was why, why couldn't she allow it?

"Was it?" The man insisted, searching for my stare. "Spontaneous?"

In that moment I realized I had to make a choice. Disclose the whole truth or stay with my mouth shut about the whole dream thing. It was pretty clear to me now that Jenova had purposely killed the baby - thing was, I didn't know her reasons.

And that consumed me terribly.

"I guess." I said, my voice failing.

The man narrowed his eyes at me and made a face. _Oh-uh_.

"What are you not telling me?" The man insisted, but I didn't utter a word. I couldn't. I had to see my General and tell him about this. "You can trust me. I am most familiar with the General's mental malfunction."

Now it was my turn to stare at the man with a look of disgust on my face. How dare he, saying such things of Sephiroth? Who was he to guess things up like that? Really, these stuck-up doctors thought they knew everything.

_Fucking idiots_.

"In time, perhaps." The man declared, calm all over his face. "Which is why I have to inform you of something."

I looked expectantly at him, prepared to tell him to fuck of-

"You are pregnant again."

As I heard the words, I felt the word fall apart around me.

Again.

* * *

><p><strong>Tseng's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>I had witnessed the questioning with eagle eyes. Hojo had been very direct and Sora Sukiru couldn't disguise her shock.<p>

Hell, I couldn't disguise mine neither.

"That woman's pregnant?" I asked, now that Hojo was sitting on a table right next to the infirmary. "That was all we needed..."

It was terrible, horrible and a complete revelation. And it was going to complicate things, that was for sure.

"Yes, well… it is an unfortunate event considering the father most likely will not live to see his child birth."

Hojo words were honest and real. The man knew the General faced a tough sentence ahead. Probably, the worst sentence of all.

"Although I think she is not being entirely truthful."

"What do you mean?"

"There is a conflict of interests here." Hojo explained, as I sat facing him. "The General acquired fertility somehow. And that, I assure you, is not humanly possible."

"Fertility? You mean…"

"Yes. A gift from Jenova, perhaps..."

The mention of that name wouldn't bring good fortune for sure. If Jenova was actually behind all this… then things were far more serious than we'd previously thought. Jenova gave a total new dimension to this case. And if _She_ had been responsible for such 'miracle', then Sephiroth's survival didn't pose much surprise to me at this point.

"Jenova… is a serious nuisance." I admitted, my gaze somber on Hojo's.

"Indeed." "But I have a feeling she will end up confessing what actually happened. Her feelings for Sephiroth are strong… and hence, his absence weakens her."

For the Planet's sake. This whole relation-ship thing was giving me a headache. And now, with a child in the middle… it complicated things to a rather severe point.

"The Military court won't be merciful." I declared, guessing up the dilemma we will be having ahead. "The General will be condemned with death penalty."

"He will." Hojo stated, neutral as always. "What a shame to give away such potential."

His tone was revealing, and I easily grasped his intentions.

"Are you implying assessing him mentally? I doubt that _insanity_ would pass in court, considering what he did."

Hojo snorted, arranging his glasses and staring at me with a '_duh_' look on his face.

"You Turks are short of sight." Hojo laughed, before continuing. "_Something_ has happened in that reactor after Strife killed him."

_And Jenova was involved in that_, that's what he meant.

"And you think the woman knows." I added. It was only logic to make such assumption.

"She bears his child, after all. I am most certain she knows of it all."

I rose from the chair, taking a deep breath. I needed fresh air, really. Hojo made the environment unbreathable.

"The court will gather in a couple of weeks. Know your limits, Hojo."

The man in front of me smiled widely.

"Very well."

And with a frown of melancholy I exited that place. I grabbed the phone and made a necessary phone call.

I needed to solve this issue and fast.

* * *

><p><strong>Sora's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>I sat in that gurney for what it seemed like hours. I could not believe the situation I was in.<p>

_Pregnant_.

For the second time.

I didn't know what to think. Now, what would I do? How could I deal with my life from now on? Would I be alone? And The General? Would I see him again? When?

When, when would I tell him I was bearing his child?

_Would he believe me_?

I missed him so much it hurt. My heart ached with his absence, my body resented the lack of his touch. He wasn't a romantic man - but his strange way of showing affection was all I needed to feel complete. _Happy_.

Now, I felt empty without him - well, not exactly empty.

I felt… incomplete.

_Will I see you again, my love_?

My throat constricted at the depressing thought. The perspectives weren't bright and I knew it. _Felt it_.

"So I've heard."

A voice surprised me. It was that man, dressed in black, the one that had invaded my - our house. His tone was sincere, albeit he seemed to be giving me _condolences_. I gulped dry and let tears fall down my face, silently. The man - whose name I recalled to be 'Tseng' - remained by the infirmary door, stern and firm like a police man.

"What will happen… to me, to him?"

I had to ask him that. I needed to know. Like, right now.

"You, are free to leave. As to Sephiroth, he will remain under custody for now."

That sure didn't sound so good.

"For now?"

"There will be a Court."

The weight of inevitability was too much to ignore.

"He won't make it, will he?" I risked, hoping to see some vestige of hope on Tseng's face. But there, I found nothing. Just neutrality.

I spoke my heart once again.

"Can I see him?"

The answer was immediate.

"No, you cannot."

The firmness in Tseng's tone made me feel miserable - and hence, willing to do and say no matter what to get what I wanted so bad.

_Please, please, let me see my love_.

"Please." I whispered, tears falling.

My eyes seemed like a spring, pouring salty water as emotions invaded me. At least, I felt some of the oppression inside me withering.

"I am really sorry."

Tseng's words meant nothing to me. They were just that - empty words that didn't do any justice to what that man was actually feeling.

"I want you to meet someone."

My watery eyes met his. I didn't care, I didn't want to meet anyone right now. I needed a freaking break from all this.

But before I could say a word, someone entered the premises.

A man, blue eyes with blond, spiky hair, dressed in a funny way. I had no idea who he was.

"Hi." He said, waving softly at me. I didn't move. Didn't react. " I'm Strife, Cloud. I'm here to take you."

Well that made me react at once.

"Where?"

"Home."

_I don't think so_.

"I don't have a home."

"Well you do now."

* * *

><p>AN - Hope you liked it, people :) Your reviews are MOST welcome! :) And welcome back to Dreamcatcher's realm!

_*Check some of my original fiction on the web: fictionpress dot com. I write under my official penname Rita Dinis. There's short-stories, novel chapters, and much more. I would like to have your feedback! The genres is mainly supernatural Romance/Horror. Enjoy!*_


	5. Chapter 4 - Adjusting

**Chapter 4. Adjusting.**

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><p><strong>Cloud's POV<strong>

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><p>When confronted with Tseng's proposition, I had given it considerate thought. Taking Sephiroth's protégé to my new apartment wasn't an option - for now. But I had left a spare room at '7th Heaven'. And there was Tifa there, the kids… it would be a good place for Sora to be, at least until we would figure out what to do.<p>

I thought it would be fairly easy - really, I did. But as always, Tifa had her ways of surprising me.

"Are you crazy?" Tifa's tone was one of offense and shock. "Bringing that monster's wife here?"

"Tifa!" I widened my eyes at her, hoping she would calm down a bit with my hard stare. Thank God Sora still remained in the car. I had told her to wait for me to get back for her.

"No! This is insane! I won't permit-"

"She was a victim, Tifa, not a-"

"What happened up there to make you even consider-"

"Tseng asked me to take care of her for some time." This interruption game was really starting to annoy me. So I disclosed the whole truth to Tifa. "She's pregnant."

She almost gaped at my words.

"With… _his_ child?"

I nodded, hoping Tifa's anger would soften a bit. But sadly, that didn't happen.

"And you just simply drag me to _this_ nonsense?"

"Would you stop?" I said, my stare hard on hers. "She's got no one, before all this she only knew beating and running, what on the Planet did you expect me to do when I was asked to _help_ her?"

Silence fell over us. A heavy silence. I could tell Tifa was thinking, considering my words.

"Cloud we have two kids to take care of. We don't need an extra to complicate our messed up living."

"There is no other option, Teef. She has to stay here."

I saw Tifa cross her arms with an angered sigh. Boy, she was so against the idea.

"For how long?"

"Until... the General is sentenced."

"Sentenced?"

"I am quite sure the military court will give him the heaviest penalty."

"Which is-"

"Death."

Her stance softened a bit as she processed my words. Silently, Tifa considered the situation and finally, when I thought she was going to give me the finger, she looked at me in the eye and talked.

"She can stay in your room. It's exactly how you left it."

"Okay, so-"

"It's a temporary, Cloud." Tifa warned, her stare hard and a not so friendly look on her face. "My bar is not a shelter for the homeless and abandoned."

I didn't like what she said, the way she had said it but decided not to go against her. That was not Tifa speaking. She wasn't like that. She was kind and worried about the friends of her friends. She was very sensitive to someone else's problems and if help was needed, she was there in the front row.

But now, things were different. Sora was not a random woman - she bore Sephiroth's child and Tifa was very sensitive about Sephiroth. And she had her reasons. Very good reasons to hate him with all her will. After all, he had murdered her father.

So this was personal. And Sora was the perfect vehicle for her to canalize her anger.

"She is innocent, Tifa. Just like you." I declared, hoping Tifa would get the message in between the lines. "So don't take revenge on her. She has nothing to do with Sephiroth's doings."

"I know that." Tifa snarled, locking her jaw. "I'm not stupid, Cloud. But it's hard to realize that suddenly, you're so sensitive about this woman's disgrace when you cannot recognize you have a family falling apart, kids that miss you and yet… you don't care."

She was right. In fact, She was absolutely right, but our family issues would have to wait until this thing with Sora and Sephiroth was solved.

"I know I owe you Teef. And the kids." I admitted. "But now, there are things set in motion that demand our attention."

Tifa blinked at me, amazed.

"Such as?"

"Jenova. She's… awaken." I declared, glad that the whole family issue had been forgotten for now. "And I'm not SOLDIER anymore."

Tifa's eyes widened at my declarations.

"_What?_"

I smiled at her, proud of the reaction the _words_ had done to her.

"I'm _The General_ now, Tifa."

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><p><strong>Tifa's POV.<strong>

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><p>I didn't know what shocked me the most. I thought Cloud didn't have the ability to surprise me but I guess I was wrong after all.<p>

He was able to surprise me all right. But sadly, not the way I would like to. He arrived right after sunset with a mysterious face and that cute smile that affected me terribly.

I had imagined so many times, Cloud coming home smiling and hugging me and the kids, telling me that he would stay with us forever. No matter what.

And then, when the kids were asleep, he would finally declare his love for me, admitting he had been blind all along. Kisses and love-making. I had imagined, pictured that so many times it almost became real - in my head. With Cloud's constant absence, I had space to invent my perfect world with Cloud and the kids.

Except Cloud wasn't around. Ever. I tried to call him sometimes but his tone hurt me more than the usual 'hi' and 'bye'. I asked him constantly when he would return - using the kids as excuse, but there seemed to be nothing that would soften his heart.

I wondered so many times as to where he would be. How would he sleep, what would he eat.

He always told me he was okay. Just that.

'_I'm fine, Teef_.'

And then the line was gone. As always.

I sighed as I recalled what had happened yesterday. God, it sounded unreal - all of it. Sephiroth having a woman pregnant with his child was the most ludicrous scenario. I couldn't conceive the idea of an assassin being tender and loving to someone.

And especially _not _Sephiroth. The man had a heart of stone and a mind of a psychopath.

Then, the whole thing of Cloud becoming General. That had been the cherry on the top of the cake.

The idea of Cloud being General brought me me shivers. And not for the best reasons. The post belonged to Sephiroth, the way I saw it. Namely, the post _fit _Sephiroth, not Cloud.

Cloud didn't have the profile to be a General. He was too weak, let everything affect him way too much. Take Aerith's death, for instance.

He still drowned in waves of guilt over her death. So… how could someone so conscientious become General?

No way. The whole thing was too weird to just… accept, just like that. There was no way Tseng and the President would allow someone like Cloud to be General.

Unless, of course, there was a damned good reason to do that.

And I was willing to bet that was exactly the case here.

"Can I help you?"

A voice I didn't recognize made me turn to see who it was. It was her - Sephiroth's fiancée. She eyed me with the despair of a woman that had been abandoned and didn't know what to do. Well, too bad. That happened to me constantly and I had to bear with it - alone, with a bar to run and two kids to feed.

"No, it's okay." I declared, knowing she was referring to helping me with stuff at the bar. "You go and rest."

I busied myself with the dishes, not sparing a glance at her. But she didn't move.

"I rest the whole day." She said, with a fearful tone. "I'm not used to… just stay and do nothing."

I didn't answer her. Hell, I didn't care what she did, whatever she did. I just wanted out of my sight. Why didn't she resume to the bedroom? No, she had to insist.

"I know you don't approve of-"

"That's none of my business, really." I interrupted.

"He's not like that. There is good in him, I assure-"

"Don't." I said, my gaze hard on her. Now, she had made me explode with those silly excuses of a woman madly in love. I stepped towards her, preparing one hell of a speech. Luckily, the bar was still closed and no one was around. She was going to hear it. "You just don't go that way. You are talking about the man that murdered my father and resumed the place where I lived in to ashes. He's a monster, for all I care, and there is nothing you can say to change my opinion." I paused for a couple of seconds, then continued. "I don't know what happened between you two, and I really don't give a damn."

"Tifa."

Cloud's voice. I turned to see him right next to the counter, wondering for second how on the Planet had he gotten in without me noticing.

"What?"

I reacted as harshly as I could manage, since Cloud was beyond angry. He was very transparent.

"Upstairs. Now."

I was going to tell him to fuck off but then again, Sora was the one talking.

"Cloud, really, it's ok-"

"No, Sora." Cloud stated, his eyes on her. "This has to stop." And then, his stare landed on mine. He gestured towards the stairs, and I knew what would follow. It wasn't going to be nice. "After you, Teef."

I breathed out loud, wondering how on the Planet I was going to stand this. I walked with him on my tail, leaving the woman downstairs.

We reached my bedroom and he closed the door behind us. I remained in the middle of the room, lingering there like a bee.

I stood there, quiet, with my arms crossed. I could hear the pulsing of my heartbeat in my ears. I was so annoyed my chest hurt.

"I don't want her here." I admitted, my stare grave on his.

"You don't have a choice, Tifa." Cloud declared.

"You have a new home. Take your newest conquest there." I know I was being unfair, but the way he gave her attention and the whole protecting thing was driving me crazy.

"Don't be stupid." Cloud snarled. "I can't take her there, don't you think I considered that in first place?"

I gulped, and his words hurt me. So. Taking her to his place had been his first option. Not here, where his _real_ family was. Oh, damn. How awful was all this. What, did he have feelings for her or what? The mere thought made my heart scream with hurt.

"Do you like her?" I asked, directly. I needed to know, this whole thing was blinding me. "Do you have… feelings for her?"

"For the Planet's sake, Tifa."

"Answer me, Cloud!" I had raised my tone, I didn't care. "For one time in your life, tell me what you really feel!"

Cloud stepped towards me, stopping when our faces were inches apart. I gulped dry, appalled with his reaction.

"You have this pathetic tendency to create dramas where they don't exist." He whispered, his breath meeting my lips. "You don't have to be jealous, Tifa. Sora is merely my responsibility, now that I am the General."

It felt frustrating that he could actually read me so easily but what could I do? I was despaired and he was finally home… the whole thing had overwhelmed me.

"She had to leave the compound because it was dangerous. Sephiroth is resumed to high-security cell but you know how determined a woman in love is."

Yes, in fact I knew.

"I brought her here because it was safer. She needs to be away from that place while the Turks and Hojo take care of Sephiroth. Or the consequences might be devastating. And no, I don't like her _that way_. All I feel for her… is pity."

I processed his words carefully. I felt somehow relieved as he told me how he felt for _her_. Pity. Wow. That was sad.

"Ask me what you really want to know, Tifa."

My stare met his suddenly. Blue met brown and I felt truly cornered. I knew what he meant. I knew what he wanted me to say. Shame invaded me, making me blush.

I couldn't believe Cloud was asking me to declare my real feelings for him. As if he didn't know already.

"You know what I want, Cloud." I declared, my tone fading. His stare was powerful enough to devastate all my defenses, and with him so close to me, I couldn't think straight.

"Say it."

Cloud insisted. I wondered why he did that, what would be his goal with all this 'game'.

"Does it matter? You'll leave anyway. You'll never-"

His hand on my face silenced me. That simple action was enough to silence me, block my mind. This was way too good to be real. His fingers traced the lines of my jaw, my ear and finally landed there, grasping me as if… as if he intended to kiss me.

But would he? Would that be his goal? Would that intention be real, genuine?

"Cloud…"

All I was able to say was his name. Just that. He was the one doing all the talking from there.

"I've been taking my time to finally tell you how I feel about you, Tifa."

_Oh my. Really_?

"Forgive my actions for all this time. I'm back for good now. I'm here for you, for the kids... if you're willing to accept me."

I felt a pang in my heart as I processed his words. Was he saying the truth? Was this really happening? My God, was my dream finally coming true?...

I searched his blue eyes, over and over again. And yet, I didn't find there anything deceiving. He was being honest with me. I _felt_ it.

"Tifa?"

I blinked, as his voice resonated so close to me. Cloud stared at me with concern on his face. Well… was he afraid I would kick him in the butt? Hum. It wasn't like he didn't deserve a punishment, considering everything he had done… and everything I had been through thanks to his selfishness.

Amazing how little words and gestures took all the resentment away. Just like that, in the blink of an eye.

"Yes…" I said, my voice failing me. I couldn't believe this was happening.

Cloud's face approached mine, our mouths closer but still… never touching. The anticipation was immense, and I could feel his warmth meeting mine, like potent sunshine burning my face.

However, Cloud didn't say a word more. He smiled at me and made the move. Before I knew it, his lips were glued to mine and I felt like I was floating… on cotton clouds.

* * *

><p><strong>Sora's POV.<strong>

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><p>There had been four days. Painful, long days.<p>

Cloud had assured me I would be fine, that he knew of a nice place for me to stay, safe and sound, away from the complex where my General remained caged.

We traveled on his bike, that humongous thing until we reached a bar, far away from the company. It was a peripheral sector, I wasn't sure which one, but the place didn't look that bad from the outside.

He asked me to stay outside for a bit, claiming he would be back in a couple of minutes. But he took a little more than that. Inside that place lived a woman - Tifa, that eyed me like I was Satan. There were two kids I only met the day after. They were nice - a little shy, but smiley and genuine.

Tifa didn't make my life easy. She obviously didn't want me around and I felt bad enough to be there but Cloud insited.

I remained in the bedroom - Cloud's former bedroom for the most part. It had a TVand all the gadgets I needed to distract myself.

Except I couldn't. There was nothing capable of taking the General away from my thinking. I wondered how he would be, if he missed me or not, if he would know where I was.

During the night, before I fell asleep, I imagined he would appear, flying to take me with him… back to our place in the woods.

Tears were common, mostly at night - when I woke up alone or when I dreamed about him. The nostalgia was consuming me and my thoughts were immediately invaded.

The baby.

_His_ baby.

My hand travelled to my lower abdomen, still flat.

God, was this true? Was I really pregnant with his child? I guess I was only going to believe that when I started feeling the baby inside me.

Now, it all felt so… unreal.

I was having a terrible time adjusting to all of this. This place, the baby, Sephiroth in jail... all of it gave me headache.

Today I had been called to see the doctor.

I was finishing breakfast when a car with Shinra's logo on it stopped right in front of the bar. Four men exited the vehicle and talked to Tifa, who kindly informed me I had to be going with them for health purposes.

What choice did I have but to go with them.

"You are just fine." Hojo declared, after assessing me in every way possible. during the examination I had a worn a white overall and now, that I prepared to leave the gurney to dress myself, the man stood in front of me with pills on one hand and a glass of water on the other. "Here, take these. It's for the fetus. And remember to eat properly."

I hesitated several times, not knowing if I should trust him or not. Thing was, there was something about him that reminded me of Sephiroth. It was strange, I knew. But there were several facial expressions that reminded me of my General - and that gave me some sort of… confidence. Maybe I was wrong and that was just my mind, but that was true.

Maybe I just missed my General so much that I tended to see bits and parts of him in every face.

So I took the pills and dressed myself in a cubicle especially designed for that. When I got out, the man kindly gestured me to sit again.

Oh well. The whole questioning thing was about to start.

"So, mind if I ask you something?"

I nodded, as the man remained standing. I sat in the gurney with my hands holding tightly my purse.

"Did Sephiroth rape you?"

I widened my eyes at the man. Not this _issue_ again! What was with them and the rape theory, good God!

"God, no." I declared.

"No?"

Okay, enough was enough.

"No! How many times do have to say it? He never… forced me into anything. On the contrary."

The man blinked at me, appalled.

"That is something very hard to believe."

Strangely, I couldn't get why.

"But it's the truth. I swear."

The man remained in silence for a moment and then, after a discreet eye-narrowing, his eyes met mine, finally making his question.

"How did you find the General? Had any help?"

I took a deep breath, not liking one bit the direction this conversation was taking. I wouldn't mention Jenova - no way, not without talking to the General first.

"I need to see the General."

"Answer my question, please."

I didn't like that tone. Which meant this conversation was now over.

"Are you done with me?" I asked, as I jumped off the gurney. My eyes met Hojo's, clearly defying. We both knew I was hiding information from him, but thing was, I needed to see the General. I missed him terribly and plus - I bore his child. He needed to know that.

"Medically, yes." The man answered.

"Then I'm going." I stated, headed to the door.

"You cannot hide the truth forever, Sora."

I listened to Hojo's words, as I closed the door behind me. He was absolutely accurate about that, it was a fact.

But there were priorities right now.

My General was one of them.

-/-

"Yes?"

I opened the door slowly, smiling embarrassingly as I entered Tseng's office. I had come to see the man without announcing myself and he had been polite enough to receive me. I wondered if he knew I had been with Hojo before and the real reason as to why I was bugging him at midday.

"Sora. How are you doing?"

"I'm okay." I declared, my voice failing. I felt anxious and guilty because I knew I was having a lot of nerve. Going to Tseng to ask him about the General? Really. This was not me, this was despair talking.

"Did you go to your first medical check?"

Tseng was the one talking. He seemed to be in good mood. He sat behind his desk and I remained like a statue, close to his door. He stood still slowly, eyeing me with determination.

"So… to what I owe the visit?"

I gulped dry and sighed, trying to think of the best way to ask him to see my General. Words, sentences, questions, demandings, begging - it all came to mind and coalesced in a chaos of randomness that didn't lead to anything concrete.

However, Tseng guessed right away my inner dilemma.

"No."

His negation was enough to make me react at once.

"Please. I need to see him."

My voice came out strangled, as if I was in acute pain.

"You _cannot_ see him. The General is a under permanent custody and he does not have visitors. This is not the county prison."

Damn it, I knew it. I knew it all, but I had, HAD to see him, like, right now. There were so many things I had to tell him, so many things I needed to explain… what, were they going to keep me away from him _forever_?

No can do.

"He needs to know… about me." I stated, tears brimming. "I want to be the one telling him."

Tseng took a deep breath and stepped towards me. I didn't know why but I had no problem in crying in front of him. In fact, he had seen the worst of me already, so a little crying wasn't that terrible. Thing was, all my conversations with Tseng usually involved tears. One way or the other, Sephiroth would be involved as well and a battle of wills started. Mine and his. My wishes, my feelings; his duties, his honor.

"I'm sorry, Sora."

Tseng's words were genuine, but that was far from what I needed. So I insisted.

"Please, at least consider-"

"Leave. If you please."

Despair turned to rage as I processed his words, his rude order.

"I'm not giving up, Tseng." I declared, cleaning the tears from my face, with my hand. "The General is not guilty. He was not responsible for his actions."

My words made Tseng narrow his eyes for a moment. But he didn't take me seriously.

"You really are in love with the man."

I chose to ignore his last sentence. I decided to warn him, instead.

"I know what I'm saying." My words were harsh, as a turned to open the door. "And I will figure out a way to prove it."

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><p><strong>Tseng's POV<strong>

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><p>I stood there for a while, thinking about what Sora had said. Apart from all the drama and the hormonal actions of a woman in the situation she was in, I kind of understood her point of view.<p>

Thing was, I couldn't falter. If I allowed her certain things… what she wanted - see Sephiroth - things would fall apart easily. Hell, I was having a bad time already since Sephiroth had returned to us. Having him under permanent custody was not only difficult but extremely mind-absorbing. The man had been an icon, a leader and a very respectable personality - and most of the men had fought under his command. Most of those men now surveyed him, as if he was an ordinary criminal.

Thing that he wasn't. He would never be. His reputation would never die, never fade - would never change.

_Damn_.

This was a horrible mess to deal with.

And I knew Sephiroth was dying to know about Sora as well. The fierceness in his eyes when he made me to swear I would take care of her… was powerful enough. I was a man that honored my word. We both knew that.

I walked silently towards the building Sephiroth was caged. It was time to pay him a visit.

I owed him that.

-/-

"Sephiroth."

I called him out using my hologram form. I wouldn't dare to enter his premises physically - not when he was behaving so erratically lately.

Daily episodes of attempting against the cell integrity had lead us to stop with physical conversations. We talked to him using hologram imaging, what seemed to be the safest way of doing so.

However, Sephiroth didn't talk much lately. He ignored Hojo with all his will and kept his stare fixed on the roof.

However today, I knew it would be different. He was expecting me - I felt it. So, as the hologram came to life in his chambers, his voice was heard immediately.

"Where is she."

Harsh tone, harsh manners. He didn't even bother to stare at the hologram.

"She's safe."

"With whom? And where?"

This man was impressive. He knew she wasn't in the compound anymore. As to how, it remained a mystery.

"I gave you my word she would be fine." I insisted, trying not to give him details. "So she is."

The answer seemed to appease him somehow. The former General considered my words, reflected on them and resumed to be in silence for a while.

However, the silence was broken fairly fast.

"So when will it be?"

"When will what be?"

"My execution."

"You'll go to court first." I informed. "You have one extra crime to answer for."

And, for the first time, Sephiroth's stare met mine. His unawareness almost felt insulting.

"Dan Miller." I clarified, but the man remained in a total blank. For the first time, I saw him truly surprised, since the name clearly didn't mean anything to him. I wondered why that would be.

"I am not aware of who that person was."

"Sora's husband."

His eyes shifted immediately, reacting to my words. And what an effect!

"That… _thing_ was not her husband." He snarled, standing still in front of me - the hologram. "And, believe me, he had what he deserved after what he did to her."

That worked as a confession. So, it was the right time to go a little further.

"How about those people in Neibelheim? Did they deserve what you did to them to? Did Zack deserve being killed?"

Sephiroth's stance changed at once.

"I have nothing to say in my defense on that."

He was clearly behaving defensively - and I didn't get why. It made no sense. Why confess Miller's murder and not Neibelheim's? Suddenly, Sora's words came to mind, and I wondered why she had said that that way. _'The General is not guilty. He was not responsible for his actions.'_, she had told me.

Hum. That got me thinking.

"Really?" I insisted a bit, maybe he would disclose something. A clue, whatever.

"If I could… I would take all that back." He affirmed, his stare hard. "Except… I can't. So I accept my destiny."

I couldn't believe my ears.

"Is that regret?"

"I can't regret something that was not of my making."

_Man, this is insane_…

"It's curious though…" I admitted, smirking at him. "Sora said something very similar today."

However, the man changed in very disturbing way when Sora's name was mentioned. His heartbeat changed, his magnetic field peaked, driving all the monitoring apparatus crazy. I regretted at once my words.

"Today? What was she here today for and why?"

"Sephiroth-"

"What is it that you're not telling me, Tseng?"

"Easy, or the energy field in this cell will change."

That seemed to calm him a bit.

"I need to know."

"Sora is fine." I declared, a little touched of his desperate reaction. "You should worry more about what's to come for you."

And I was about to quit the hologram form when he smiled at me. It was a _very_ disturbing smile.

"So, is Cloud happy with his new post?"

I shivered out of apprehension with his words. Good God. How could he possibly know?

"How do you know that?"

"Mako, Tseng. It creates a mental bond that allows me to peak on his mind."

"Really."

That was freaking unethical and creepy, the way I saw it. I wondered if Cloud knew about this or not.

"He pities her." Sephiroth declared, with a face of disgust. "As to why, I don't know yet. But I will find out. Soon."

I shut down the hologram mode, turning the energy field on again.

I had to warn Cloud right now.

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><p><strong><em>AN - Hope you liked it guys :) You're most welcome to read and review, I've been in heaven with your feedback, thank you so much :) Dreamchaser will be one hell of a sequel LOL :) _**

_*Check some of my original fiction on the web: fictionpress dot com. I write under my official penname Rita Dinis. There's short-stories, novel chapters, and much more. I would like to have your feedback! The genres is mainly supernatural Romance/Horror. Enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Suggestion of the week: PART 1 of 'ENGEL', my novel involving ANGELS, DEMONS &amp; ALIKE! Sexy things, are they not? :) Give it a try.*<em>**


	6. Chapter 5 - Dreams

_**Chapter 5. Dreams**_

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><p><strong>Sora's POV<strong>

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><p>I went home feeling mad and frustrated. My conversation with Tseng couldn't have been worst than that.<p>

How could I convince them that Sephiroth wasn't exactly guilty of crimes at Neibelheim?

I sighed at my logics.

I couldn't. They wouldn't believe me. If I started talking about Jenova and the way she had appeared to me in that reactor, the things she did to me - to us, I would certainly be admitted in the psychiatric ward. They'd take my child away from me and… who knew. I might very vell stay in an asylum for the rest of my life!

And I didn't want that. I had to try and figure out a way to solve this.

When I got to the bar, Tifa was busy with the costumers, waved a hand at me, in sign of 'hello'. Her mood had improved but she avoided conversations. To her, I was a silly woman with obvious mental issues for being in love with a man like the General.

Up to my bedroom I went, closing silently the door behind me. God, I felt so lost. What should I do? I had the feeling I was wasting precious time just staying at home doing nothing. Literally, I did nothing.

Confronted with the lack of activity, I turned the TV on and remained on the bed. I stayed there for what was left of the afternoon, dozing in and off to sleep until Tifa called me out to dinner. Cloud wasn't there, but the kids smoothed the environment immensely, talking about what they did in school and the games they played with their friends.

Eventually, nighttime arrived and we were dismissed to our bedrooms. Tifa cuddled the kids to sleep and waved me goodnight.

What choice did I have but to bear such indifference?

With a deep sigh I prepared myself to go to bed - another lonely night without my dark angel next to me.

I fell asleep faster than usual.

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><p><strong>Sephiroth's POV<strong>

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><p>I was getting fed up with this cell. I felt very impatient indeed.<p>

They had caught me well, I had to admit, but truth was I had much matters to bother with and yet… I was here.

Trapped as a mouse.

My thoughts lingered on Sora for the most part. I knew Tseng had said she was okay - and I trusted the man enough to know she was actually speaking the truth, but I wanted very bad to see her, even knowing I couldn't. They would never allow me such luxury.

I was in the middle of a conflict of interests.

They didn't know what to do with me. I had a feeling all of them hoped for the day of my execution, to finally get rid of me.

Being Hojo the exception. The man would never give up on me, his biggest experiment of all. If he could he would drag me to his lab again and would have his wicked fun until my body allowed.

I knew Hojo enough to know the man didn't have limits. Of any kind.

I laid on the bed, my stare on the padded roof.

My thoughts wandered to Jenova. She was behaving erratically. After that episode in the woods, she had been silent. After ordering me, shouting inside my head like an angry feline not to let Sora die… it all had become strangely muted.

I didn't have a good feeling about it. Jenova was cunning and I_ felt_ she was up to something.

Thing was, I didn't know what it was. What _She_ wanted, what _She_ was preparing.

I fell asleep eventually.

To a dream I knew to be real.

_I stood, in the middle of wasteland. The breeze was soft and warm, and my eyes scanned the horizon line. Midgar._

_Abstract lines of buildings, gray and metallic. It all felt so strangely silent._

'_General.' , a voice called._

_I turned to see who it was but my mind knew who was way before. Sora. She was there._

_With me. Right by my side._

'_Sora…'_

_I wanted to ask her so many things, to tell her what had happened the day the Turks had invaded our place, but I couldn't. There was something preventing me from doing so._

_Explosions on the horizon line caught our attention. Midgar burned. The fire and the smoke swirled in the sky, as if a tornado of devastation annihilated the city. _

_Screams, panic and death surrounded us. _

_It was then, when the clouds of fire calmed, that I saw who had wiped away Midgar from the map._

_It wasn't Jenova. _

_It was… a child. _

_Out of nothing a hand grasp mine, and I felt Sora's despair. I smelled her tears as the child proceeded, us as the bystanders in such decadent happening._

_I didn't have time to think, ask mental questions as to why was that child behaving like Jenova would. _

_Before I knew it, my mind was suddenly invaded with images that gave me all the answers. Like in a movie, Jenova showed me what she would do - her goals, her intentions. It all resumed to an intense, mental stimulation with a footage in which past, present and future mingled harmoniously. _

_And when she finally finished, all I felt was death taking me - and the woman grasping my hand tight. _

I woke up with a loud breath, as if I had been immersed for hours. My pulse quickened and, for the first time of my life, I felt _panic_.

Everything was so obvious now.

"Sora." I whispered, recalling the feeling of losing her, still too recent in my mind. I stood still and rested my forehead on the padded door of my cell.

And after that, I started to scream her name.

* * *

><p><strong>Sora's POV.<strong>

* * *

><p>I woke up panting, in the middle of the night, with my heart heavy and tears in my eyes.<p>

I had been dreaming again.

It had been as real as my last dream that involved Jenova, but the content of this dream had been terribly disturbing.

I remained with Sephiroth side by side, watching how a child devastated Midgar. It looked like an infernal thing. I didn't have the time to say a word, nor did he, because the view consumed our sanity.

That turmoil of fire took everything on its path. It was like a divine, yet wicked event. The child, beautiful and familiar, seemed focused on destroying everything.

Then the mental images invaded me. Sequences, descriptions and events that took all my doubts as to who and why those things were happening. It was like a footage from hell.

The conclusion was obvious though. Slowly I recalled, over and over again, what seemed to be printed in every neuron inside my mind.

That calamity child, so alike Jenova in almost every aspect -physically and emotionally -, was the baby I had growing in my womb.

And she would be the perfect vehicle for Jenova to destroy the Planet.

I put my hand on my chest as realization took me over, my eyes scanning the dark inside the bedroom.

"My God… It can't be…"

I couldn't believe what I had been shown. I refused to accept the baby inside me would be the bringer of death to the Planet.

I didn't want to, really.

But all I could see was the image of Jenova's smile of joy… as she stole my baby away from me.

I didn't mind it was seven a.m.

I called a cab to take me to Shinra's headquarters. I had to see Tseng, tell him what was going to happen. All my previous fears didn't matter anymore. Things were going to get out of hand and they need to know what Jenova was about to do.

Maybe this way, they would believe me and who knew… maybe they would release my beloved General. I missed him terribly and I would do anything to see him again. It didn't matter how and when.

I didn't mind my manners. I opened the door of Tseng's office under the warnings of his assistant, who didn't have the time to stop me.

"Tseng."

My voice came out like a cry of despair. Inside the office, Tseng was having a reunion with a man, and two pairs of eyes met mine in surprise. Tseng was the first one speaking.

"I'm in the middle of-"

"It's important."

My God, I was behaving so rudely. I wasn't like this but the images I had in my mind didn't let me behave otherwise. Tseng eyed me with a heavy stare and I took my opportunity to go straight to the point. Or I was certain he would shove me off the office.

"It was Jenova. She did that to him."

My words were like bombs. The silence that followed weighted tons and Tseng dismissed the gentleman with a discreet eye-contact.

The man left the office and when there was only me and Tseng, he took his time to step towards me, his frown serious.

"_What_?"

"She took over the General's mind. That's why he did what he did." I said, almost choking with stress. "And she wants my child now. _Our_ child."

Tseng blinked at me, as if I was saying a bunch of nonsense. He sighed and massaged his forehead with his index finger.

"You can't be serious."

"Please, you have to believe in me. She… she was the one that allowed all this to happen. The General going mad, me finding him in the reactor, the pregnancy-"

"Are you even listening to yourself?"

"She used him. It's all she does. Use, to have it her way."

He sighed again and made a face.

"You need to see a medic."

_Oh, my GOD_! Sweet despair.

"Please, believe in me, I-"

"You're going to see Hojo right now." Words hadn't yet left his mouth and he was heading us out of his office in a rush.

"Please, please, at least-"

"It's decided."

As we walked towards the building where Sephiroth was staying, I tried to talk things out with Tseng but he refused to listen to me.

He communicated with Hojo's staff, who informed the scientist was now in Sephiroth's premises. Apparently, something had happened, what seemed to bother Tseng immensely.

I felt my heart on my throat. Anxiety ate me on the inside and I wondered if I would see the General or not. I wanted very bad to see him.

We walked and walked, Tseng always grabbing my arm.

"You'll do as I say, Sora. No talking, no nothing. Something happened to Sephiroth."

I almost felt my heart stop in that moment.

"W-What do you mean?" My voice almost failed me and that terrible oppression on my throat was the prelude of a torrent of tears.

"Hojo's with him." Tseng informed. "He snapped last night."

"Snapped…" I quoted, feeling lost and sad.

Oh, my poor General. He was not okay and I… I was away from him. Who knew what Hojo would be doing with him.

"We'll be in a room and you'll be able to see him." Tseng informed, serious. "But don't say a word unless I say so, okay?"

I nodded, my heartbeat peaking. My God. I was going to see my General after all.

When Tseng and I reached the floor, I noticed something was definitely wrong. There was staff running everywhere and no one noticed us. I wondered if Sephiroth had been responsible for such rush. Chaos seemed to have been spread in that place.

Tseng led me to a room whose walls where decorated with LED monitors. It took me a moment to realize those were surveillance devices. My sight met immediately the one where Sephiroth was. I approached the monitor at once, trying to grasp what was going on.

My General's cell looked like a war zone. It was partially destroyed and I could see he was talking to Hojo's hologram about something that clearly angered him. My General dressed all black, some sort of uniform, with bare feet. Sadly, the sound was off.

"What's happening?" I asked, and my stare met Tseng's at once.

"Hojo is trying to calm him down." Tseng declared, with a mobile phone in one of his ears. "But it's not working."

"Why do you say that?"

Tseng sighed before answering.

"Nonsense is all the man says. Just like you."

A shiver ran down my spine at the implications of Tseng's words. Oh, my. That could only mean one thing: he had foreseen, like me, the infernal scenario with the child destroying everything. My eyes widened and I considered what to say to Tseng. I wanted very much to suggest talking to him.

But I already knew the answer. Tseng would never let me-

"Tseng."

Hojo's arrival to the room interrupted my little dilemma. Hojo's stare met mine and then, Tseng's.

"Why is she here?"

I guess it was the first time I'd ever seen Hojo staring at me with dislike.

"She came to me minutes ago with some crazy theory about Jenova-"

A blast that deafened us and made the whole room shake interrupted us. A couple of LED's on the wall fell and crashed, making a serious noise.

My heartbeat peaked, because I knew what had happened. He was out. Out of that dammed cell.

And, obviously, blind with feelings and emotions, I ran towards the exit, passing by arms and screams, the voice of Tseng and Hojo right on my tail.

I only had to reach my beloved and that was it. I would be in Heaven.

As I opened the door, I faced a fog of smoke and people running, headed both ways. Little niches of fire decorated the walls of the hall, and before I could think or do anything, my eyes found his… and in that moment the world around me stopped existing.

Time stood to a halt. Everything around me moved in slow motion, muted.

My General stood in the middle of the hall, just like a black angel. His wing was retracted and his hair flew, as if there was a breeze around him.

I blinked, taking him in, recalling random moments we shared when we had been together. My loins stirred. Joy and elation took me over. I smiled at him, as his green stare pierced mine.

"Sora!"

Hearing him call my name almost made me cry. It sounded to tender, so worrying. I missed him like crazy and couldn't wait to hold him. I needed to smell him. Feel him.

I ran towards him but didn't make it.

His expression on his face made me stop when I was 5 meters from him. Fright suddenly invaded me as the warmness of his eyes turned suddenly to dead cold.

My throat tightened and I felt despaired.

"General…" I whispered, hoping my voice would soothe his poker face. But there was nothing capable of changing the dreadful stance of that man.

His eyes weren't on mine anymore. They focused on my lower belly the whole time. Reflexively, slowly, my eyes traveled towards my womb as well.

_The baby. He's listening to it_.

It was the most obvious conclusion at this point.

"Are you listening?"

I was risking him snapping again but, I had - at least -, to try. He was the man I loved and I intended to tell him I was with his baby but then again… things always worked out differently with Sephiroth. It was like a damned nightmare.

"How do you know I'm listening to something?" His voice sounded harsh and his expression didn't change. Which wasn't a good sign.

"It's yours. It's growing in her womb."

Hojo's voice informed him before I had the chance of telling him something.

"What?"

He narrowed his eyes at me again, and I couldn't feel more oppressed. Damn Hojo. He was taking my moment away! Come on!

"A gift. A miracle."

Hojo's words did something to the General. He made a face and I sensed he was recalling something. _The dream, maybe_?

"That's no miracle."

He basically snarled the words at me, and I felt my eyes swim in tears. Good God. This was supposed to be a nice, good moment! I didn't seem him for ages, I missed him terribly and now he was saying these horrible things to me?

"General-" I started talking but he didn't let me finish. He took some steps towards me instead, his hands on my arms. All I could think was about his touch - so warm, so familiar. But his words and his stare destroyed everything around us.

"You must remove it." He said, serious, with his stare on mine. Tears fell and a sob escaped me. He didn't pay me no attention, his eyes searching for someone else "You must. Now. Hojo, take it from her. Destroy it."

"Sephiroth…" My feeble whisper didn't touch his walls. His eyes met mine again but I could see he was focused; he only cared about one thing only. _Killing my baby_.

"You don't know what it will be. But I do."

"How-"

"Have it removed and dead, Sora."

Now, his voice admitted a more threatening tone.

"What are you saying?"

"_DO IT_!"

The reaction to his scream did the deed. I shivered out of fear and sadness, and a multitude of guards came up to grab him. The electric sound of tasers deafened me, as Hojo pushed me back, Tseng keeping me there, trapped like a biped. Tears fell as I watched the man I loved being taken away from me again. Liked a caged animal on the loose.

"Calm down." Tseng's words didn't do anything to calm me down but his tone felt soothing. I couldn't help but to ask him:

"What is wrong with him? Why is he saying such things?"

"I don't know."

Hojo answered instead.

"We'll figure this out." Hojo declared. "Now leave. For your own sake."

Tseng took me away as I heard Hojo ordering the soldiers.

I waited in a room with chairs and a table that seemed to be more like a conference room of some sort.

Tseng didn't say a word. He resumed getting me a pack of Kleenex and depositing them in front of me.

Hojo eventually made an appearance, tiredness all over his face. I wondered what had happened for him to look so wasted.

"Spill it out, Sora."

I sounded like an order and I didn't like it, but I had no choice but to tell him everything. What could I do instead? I felt lost and Jenova had been playing with us since the beginning.

I had no one. Literally.

So, even if I didn't trust the man or the Turks… I had to confess the whole thing, from the very beginning.

So I started.

* * *

><p>AN - Okay, I had to cut the chapter or it would be huge. I'm sorry I did that LOL. Hope you like it :) R&R as you like people , you know the drill! :D


	7. Chapter 6 - Intentions

**CHAPTER 6 - INTENTIONS**

* * *

><p><strong>Hojo's POV.<strong>

* * *

><p>I heard the woman for almost two hours. Me and Tseng remained sit, as she told us everything that had happened in the last months. Tears fell as the words forced themselves out of her. It was impressive, how her faithfulness towards the General made her behave so defensively.<p>

I was perfectly aware she was only confessing the whole thing because the General had been extremely harsh with her when they reunited hours ago. She expected something else entirely - not an angered man in the verge of sticking his hand in her belly and destroy the child growing inside.

I didn't know exactly what was going on but I had to admit I was impressed - something that rarely happened to me. Very few things had the ability of impress me.

For instance, see my main experiment behaving unusually possessive over a woman was one of those things.

I tried to gather my thoughts as Sora resumed to silence. Tseng was strangely resilient as the woman described the encounter where the trio had argued and where guns, swords and a lot of beheading had taken place.

I was the one interrupting that uncomfortable silence.

"So, what you are trying to say is that Jenova was actually speaking to you both."

Sora gulped dry at the obviousness of my declaration.

"Yes."

So, Jenova had a clear purpose in all this. I narrowed my eyes and resumed to think out loud.

"She guided you to find him first, made you abort afterwards-"

"I'm not sure about the last one. I dreamed she had done that to me, but I don't know if-"

"Tell me more about the General's panic attack."

Sephiroth's strange behaviors in the last months were disturbing to me. It was not typical of the man I had brought up to be superior and basically the best of all kind. Panic was not an emotion he had been taught to feel.

Sora made an effort to describe the scene, and judging by the face she made, it must not have been nice to watch.

"We were… talking and then he just started panicking with… noises and with someone being out there. Outside." Her stare perspired terror, and I wondered, for a moment, how terrible that moment must have been to her. "He freaked out a lot with it. You don't imagine how crazed he looked like, how he acted. Holding that huge sword, flying towards the forest, shouting…"

The woman gulped dry, a stubborn tear falling as she played with a humid Kleenex. Tseng was the one talking after Sora was obviously out of words to say.

"And after the dream and the abortion he calmed down."

"Yes. He got home a couple days later apparently… sane."

_Sane. Right_.

I smirked, relaxing against the comfy chair. The possibilities were immense and right now… a very true and real opportunity of working with Jenova was at hand.

_Jenova_. Having fun with two puppets and considering God-knew-what. Well, I had my theories.

And none of them were remotely pleasant. Or peaceful.

Sora's fragile tone woke me up of my reverie.

"What are you thinking?"

"Most likely, it was the baby." I stated. "The one Jenova removed from you. He was probably listening to the fetus move inside you. Just like he did now."

It had to be. If one got to think coherently, both attitudes were very similar and there was a very good reason for the General to snap like he did. Think was, the why's were still doubtful.

"What? God."

Sora's shock was genuine and I felt a little overwhelmed at how in the dark this woman was. She didn't have a clue of her role, of the seriousness of the whole thing since the beginning, since the day Jenova appeared to her.

However, considering the last line of events, there were things that needed immediate attention.

"Tell me about your dream."

Sora's eyes met mine in disbelief.

"But I already told you-"

Impatience ate me on the inside.

"The one you had last night."

"Do you believe in me?" Her despair was immense, as she purposely avoided my question. That made me wonder… why hiding that specific information from us in this point. Now that she had disclosed basically everything, there was no need for being shy. "Please, I'm not making this up. All this really happened. Jenova really-"

In that moment I realized the fright was directed to Tseng. He kept doubting, claiming she wasn't well in her head.

"I do. Jenova's behavior is of our great interest."

I had to make her believe in me - us. The scientific staff and the Turks had to be on her side or our chances would be doomed. After so many time remaining clueless and guessing up things about Jenova, destiny had rewarded us with live, real information. Flesh and bone guinea pigs that would be very, very useful to understand a little more about our beloved 'Calamity'.

My insides stirred at the thought.

"What do you think of all this?"

Sora's question was now directed to me. Tseng's stare shifted from me to Sora, as an occasional bystander. Although, I knew he was in fact very aware of everything.

That little mind of his was always conjuring. Turks. _Ha_.

"It does not surprise me." I admitted. "The General is part of Jenova, it's only natural She would use him to her purpose."

The disgust in Sora's face was obvious.

"You make it sound like it's _normal_."

"But it is. To Her, it is absolutely normal." I smiled. I was the only one in good spirits inside this room.

"You need to help me."

I was prepared to strike back but Tseng got ahead me in a no time. And he sounded impatient and angry.

"With what?"

"Save him. The General. You know he is innocent."

"I'm afraid we cannot do that."

"Why?"

"This won't be a valuable proof in Court. Jenova does _not_ exist out there. _She_ is a secret matter in the company."

"Isn't there any way of-"

"No. The General has no-"

Tseng was interrupted by a phone call. Silence followed in the next five seconds before the head of Turks turn to me with a frown of seriousness all over his face.

"Hojo."

"Yes?"

"We are needed in the General's cell."

And in that moment I knew something very serious had happened.

* * *

><p><strong>Sephiroth's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>The ache I felt inside me seemed to burn. There was nothing capable of taking away this pain, nothing at all.<p>

I didn't recall feeling this anxious in life. Ever. The stress, the heart beating like crazy, the energy changing inside me and flowing outside leading to the destruction of my prior cell and then - it was then, in the moment I saw her, that everything seemed to fall apart.

I didn't hear it first. All I saw, all I felt was her, standing in the middle of that chaotic hall, staring at me with hope and elation. The love she felt for me warmed me on the inside. Her presence, her attention soothed me - it always had been that way, since the first time I laid eyes on her.

But then, that noise startled me. That juicy noise coming right from inside her womb seemed like something was actually alive inside her. Moving. Craving my attention.

Eventually it caught my attention all right. And not for the best reason.

Seconds were all I needed to make that reasoning.

The dream, the whole imaging sequence I had been rewarded with made all the sense. The calamity child, the one destroying everything and everybody… was my own. And Sora's.

_She did this_, I concluded.

Yes, Jenova had been the responsible for everything.

My renewed capacity of getting a woman pregnant hadn't been a miracle or sorts. It had been a poisonous gift, a way of condemnation since I wasn't 'necessary' anymore… and Sora, would be just an asset to deliver what Jenova actually wanted.

Power. Energy bathing lifestream like no one had ever seen before. A whole planet inhabiting lifestream would be ideal… for someone as Jenova to rule.

Parasitizing planets, one after another. Destroying kinds as a walk in the park.

I sighed, as I made the same reasoning over and over again.

I was doomed, I knew it.

And I abhorred that I had her cells inside me as well.

Anger flared and the wall subsided with my flux of energy. How I hated to be what I was, played the way I had been.

_How dare She_!?

And as I punched the wall again, I screamed in agony, fury and helplessness. This feeling of impotence was too much for me to bear. Crazed as I felt, I didn't hear the cell's door open.

"Calm down!"

_Hojo_. I blinked as my reasoning shifted. I turned to face him and stepped towards the man - in flesh and bone. He was real, right in front of me - no hologram this time. I wondered why.

"Listen to me!"

My speech came out excessively rude and impolite, but the way my mind screamed at me didn't let me stay calm as I usually was.

"I will listen to you when you calm down and BEHAVE!"

Man, I had no patience for this. Time was precious and there were things needing his immediate action.

"You're wasting precious time, you worthless human! You need to have that _thing_ out of her, NOW!"

Our faces were almost leveled but Hojo didn't flinch. I wondered if he had a hidden weapon somewhere beneath his vest - only weapons would turn Hojo so smug.

"Calm the hell down!"

I breathed out loud and made a consistent effort to do as he said. I had to convince him to remove that calamity baby from inside Sora… or I would do it myself.

"Now… Tell me what happened. Smoothly."

I muttered a couple of nasty words, considering what to say to the man. Good God. In the middle of the dilemma I was in, Hojo was dead calm! Really? How could he!

"Don't curse."

I stared at him, hard, ignoring his stupid order. Okay, if I needed him to do something for me, I had to be smarter than this and not give in to Jenova's threats. So I started.

"I was warned. You have to take it out of her or we'll all be doomed."

"Jenova warned you of what, precisely?"

"She needs a vehicle. I wasn't adequate for her to assume an earthly form. But the child is. The child growing inside Sora."

Hojo blinked at me, and I realized he knew what I was talking about. Jenova's doings weren't news for him.

"Jenova's vehicle… for what?"

"To take over."

"How do you know that?"

"She showed me. Everything, from the beginning to the very end. If that child is born, we are all doomed. The Planet will die. I saw it… exploding into millions of pieces."

There. All resumed in a sentence. Hojo seemed overwhelmed.

"The calamity is finally showing herself… How wonderful!"

_Oh, for the Planet's sake_!

My reaction to Hojo's speech wasn't the most adequate. Impatient as I felt, listening to the man talking about Jenova as the most amazing thing in the world made me snap. My right hand met his throat and I squeezed. Hard.

I needed to _kill _something.

"Take that _thing_ from inside her, Hojo."

My words came out strangled and pained, mixed with the chocking sounds Hojo was making. I only wanted to threaten him, give him a little lesson and, deep down inside, make him pay for all he had made me go through… but the barrel of a gun met my head before I could think further.

_Damn Turks_.

"Let him go! NOW!"

It was a woman's voice. But of course, my cell was now partially destroyed and the locks as well. Hojo had gotten inside without problems and the Turks as well. Since I had used energy blasts, the whole electric system was messed up. Deep down inside my mind, I wondered when they were going to realize this kind of cells wouldn't stop me anymore.

I snorted at my own thought.

"Do it." I murmured, gazing upon the Turk woman's eyes. "It won't make any difference."

"I mean it, General!" Her voice was harsh and her stare warned me. She wanted me to comply and that was it. "Leave the man be! Right _fucking_ now!"

My hand and fingers gradually softened against Hojo's neck but never left the place. Doubt was all over me and I wondered what would fit better this moment. Death? Mercy? Any of it? Hojo's voice, clearly affected by my harsh treatment, was the only sound resonating inside that cell.

"She needs you General." Hojo's stare met mine and I waited for him to continue. The barrel of the gun against my scalp didn't quaver. And I couldn't care less. "And she needs me as well."

I took my time considering Hojo's words. I really did.

Sadly, he was right. Sora needed him - he was the only one capable of dealing with something as serious as the baby orchestrated by Jenova itself. He was the one… that knew Jenova the best… maybe better than I.

My grasp on the man softened and I left him be with a final warning.

"Remove it from her. At least do something worthy of your skills as a scientist."

* * *

><p><strong>Tseng's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>Things had been boiling inside that damned cell again.<p>

When I got there I thought Sephiroth was going to strangle Hojo to death, my team was on him right that moment but the whole situation had been hard to solve. Guns all over with Elena jumping on the General like a cat. Her nervous fingers almost doomed the moment.

Gladly, Reno and Rude had been there, as well as the rest of the cavalry. I remained outside, listening to Sephiroth as he came to his senses.

And the sad stare of Sora Sukiru haunted me, as she as well listened to those words. She had been a by-stander two times in a row, all in the same day.

It was upsetting to see how Sephiroth's words hurt her every time he spoke. It was like torture. And yet she loved the man with all her will. Bore his baby inside her. Endured God-knew what in the solitude of the north, alone with him. The mere thought gave me nausea.

And that made me snap in that exact moment.

"I want Sora out of the building, now!"

Reno stared at me, surprised with my reaction. Hojo remained inside the cell and Sephiroth was now restrained. I would have to reconsider a special cell for the man, a place where he wouldn't endanger the building's consistence.

"She's planted at the door, Sir! I can't-"

"Figure out a way. If the General sees her, he'll kill her. He's out of his freaking mind."

I gave sign to the rest of my team to escort Reno. I wanted Sora out of Sephiroth's sight permanently. This whole nonsense romance thing had to end - now.

And besides, an idea was popping up inside my mind. I narrowed my eyes and searched for the man I wanted to talk with.

"Is Hojo okay?"

Elena was the one answering me.

"A little shaken, I suppose."

I snorted. Right. _Shaken._

"Get Sephiroth to the Underground Labs." I whispered at Elena's ear. "The structure there won't quaver, he'll feel at home."

Elena nodded.

We all knew the underground labs had been a place of experimentation. Sephiroth had grown there. Hojo had run the place for ages before re-assignment.

Several Turks loitered around the area, the cell a complete mess. This whole destroying thing was stopping right now. Sephiroth had to calm the hell down for good.

Fifteen minutes later I found Reno, apparently back from Securing Sora Sukiru in some place inside the building.

"She's at level 8. Two of our men are with her, Sir."

"Good. I'll be right there."

"What on Earth happened with Sephiroth?"

I sighed and stared hard at Reno.

"This looks like a psychiatric ward." I declared, annoyed. "I have a psycho scientist all turned on with the latest events and an ex-General going nuts."

Reno widened his eyes, not saying a word.

"Seal the level. No one gets in or out. And get Strife here. He has to know of all this nonsense."

"Yes, Sir."

-/-

An hour later, the place was finally clean. Still, a lot of construction work would have to be done there. Damn Sephiroth and his strange powers.

Hojo remained there the whole time, lost in thinking. I took the hint.

"Are you okay?"

"I'll survive." The man took his time staring back at me. "You look disappointed."

"Don't be ridiculous. What did Sephiroth say?"

I had listened to part of their conversation, but I needed to know the whole thing. I didn't particularly liked Hojo, but I had to come to terms with the fact he was crucial in all this. This mess we were all in - wasn't a job solely for Turks. This needed team work. So, the whole scientific division, Turks and SOLDIER were now involved in this.

"Our worries need to be confirmed. I am willing to bet the woman will confirm the whole story."

I couldn't believe the man's words.

"Dreams. We're talking about a 180 degree turn in this whole company over a shared dream."

I couldn't help but to sound extremely sarcastic.

"Short of sight, aren't we Turk?" Hojo's tone was ironic and I averted my stare from his. "This is no ordinary dreaming, Tseng. This is Jenova speaking through someone we have in custody. You don't imagine how amazing that is."

"No, I don't." I stated, annoyed. "All I know is that I have a pregnant woman who wants back the man she loves at all cost and a supernatural entity involved messing up with their psyche. How do we know this isn't just pathological, Hojo?"

"That is why we're here for, Turk. To do all the thinking for you." I blinked at Hojo, at the smugness all over his face. For moments, I wished Sephiroth had squeezed his throat until his neck broke.

"You must believe my words, Sephiroth almost strangled me… to have me do something for him. That isn't like Sephiroth at all. Only Jenova has the power to mess up with him. After all, She is part of him. And what She is doing to him, to them… is absolutely wonderful to watch."

Seconds of silence followed. I didn't know what to think - if Hojo was really out of his freaking mind or if he was merely hallucinating.

And, considering the lack of objective answer, I decided to change subject.

"I'm calling an emergency reunion with the four of us - me, you, the woman and Cloud. We must decide what to do about this right freaking now. Gather all the information available and meet us in the conference room, level 8."

* * *

><p><strong>Sora's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>I remained in the conference room under surveillance after red-haired man shoved me out of that place.<p>

That hall - that led to my General's cell, a cell now destroyed, a chaos of men, guard and scientists gathering to see and hear everything. Namely, hear the General talk about me like a piece of trading meat.

Tseng and Hojo had been summoned to the place right there in the middle of our conversation. They left in a rush - and I followed them.

I wish I didn't. In that moment all I wanted was to see him again, who knew, maybe hold him for a while and say… say that I loved him, no matter what.

But then, his words were like pins hammered right there on my heart. Each word killed me a little more on the inside. Each word made my throat constrict and tears started brimming at once.

Man. How I hated being so weak over a man.

I stayed sat in that comfy chair for two hours. I didn't know why, but I didn't feel like moving. Gradually, I recalled the whole day - how horrible it had been. The dream, then seeing the General again… it all made my chest ache terribly.

I gulped dry, my mouth dried out. I was hungry, thirsty and sad. I hadn't eaten a thing since dawn.

A male presence surprised me right out of nowhere. Blue eyes met mine and I recognized the man at once.

Cloud Strife - the _new_ General. Ha.

Confronted with my lack of reaction he handed something right at me. The smell of ham and cheese illuminated my senses and the feeling of hunger became more intense.

"I figured you were hungry."

_Right, you're a know-it-all_.

"Thanks."

Cloud sat right next to me and stared until I blushed. Man, he sure was making me feel uncomfortable. Really, I didn't enjoy having someone staring at me while I ate a sandwich. Gladly, he started speaking at me - trivial things only meant to distract me, but a door opening noisily interrupted him.

_Thank God,_ I thought. I didn't have much patience for Cloud's small talk. I knew what he thought about me, about Sephiroth. He didn't take me seriously and that - that _messed up _with my nerves.

Tseng and Hojo made their way inside the conference room and I knew something serious was coming up.

Tseng's frown of disgust was proof enough of that.

"We need to talk. All of us."

An uncomfortable silence emerged as all eyes fell over me. Inevitably, my voice came out weak.

"What is it?"

"Let's talk about your dream." Hojo started and I felt a pang on my chest. Oh dear, not the dream thing again. I gulped dry and Hojo realized the thought depressed me enough. "It's okay, the General confessed his visions as well and Cloud must be informed. You have nothing to hide."

Right. He had got to be kidding me.

"I don't trust any of you." I declared, annoyed. "None of you wants to help me."

"But you should trust us. You dear Sephiroth is not going to make it-"

"Strife." Tseng's deadly stare shut Cloud up at once. Tseng's eyes met mine and I felt a little more at ease. "There are things in motion, Sora, very serious things that we have to have knowledge of. You must understand that… Jenova is actually making contact with you both and we need to know exactly what She is disclosing."

Tseng's words were true… and soft. I considered all he said, and decided to confess what I had dreamed last night. Eventually, I resumed the whole thing to a sentence.

"It's… It's all death. A female's face bringing disgrace to the Planet."

"What did you see, specifically?"

"It's basically Jenova. The only difference is that she's not mist and fog. She walks the Earth."

"That's because that's not Jenova, Sora."

Hojo was the one speaking now. All eyes were now on him and in that moment I knew a bomb was about to be dropped.

"What do you mean?" I had to ask.

"It's your child, in the future."

_WHAT?_

"My… child?"

I quoted the man, even if the thought wasn't exactly new. I suspected this was actually true, but having it confirmed by someone else was a total different thing.

"It's a girl, Sora. The testing arrived just recently."

Man. So much information was overwhelming me. My heartbeat peaked and deafened me for moments.

"Then that was why She…" I talked as I recalled concrete episodes of my latter pregnancy. The bleeding, those words I didn't understand. It all had a point. A goal. The whole damned thing. "…Back then, when I was with a boy-"

"She made it happen. For some unknown reason the child you were with wasn't ideal for her so She solved the issue quite effectively. Then, you got pregnant with the exact specimen for her to use as a vehicle."

Hojo's words were not only shocking. They were true, I felt it. And that hurt me more than ever. My God. What was I supposed to be in this miserable life? A puppet, the whole time? How was this fair in any way?

I resumed to quoted the man, wanting more. I wanted more information, I wanted to know all of it.

"Vehicle?" My voice came out weak, barely a whisper.

Hojo took his time making things clear as water for me. His brown eyes focused on mine and I knew he was not going to be merciful.

"She wants to use your child to take over and destroy the Planet, Sora. You… are her salvation."

I widened my eyes, not knowing what to say to that. I had no words to offer. All I wanted was out of this damned looney house.

_Damned the moment I got here for help_…

I got up the chair, slowly and silently and whispered the only sentence I knew I could say without snapping. I needed out right in that moment.

"I need to go."

I turned, wishing to reach the door as fast as I could. I only wanted my legs not to falter. The last thing I heard, as I walked that hall, was Tseng's voice.

"Strife."

"I'm going."

"Keep her safe. You have now the greatest of responsibilities… General."

"I know."

I didn't care I had Cloud Strife on my tail.

All I wanted was to leave that damned place.

* * *

><p><em>AN - Sorry for the delay, I got married in the meantime and as you well imagine, it steals a lot of quality time :) Preparing a wedding is consuming! :)_

_So, I'm on Dreamchaser + PORTAL for good, I will not be making such long intervals 'cause I lose track of the events and have to re-read the whole thing again._

_I'm back for good, people!_

_Read and review as you so well do! Can't wait to read your thoughts and comments! YAY!_

_Oh and check my profile - my FB and GOODREADS page - I'm promoting Giveaways on my original fiction AND I'm offering, for FREE, my new e-novella ENGEL!_

_Give it a try :)_


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